The Krewe of Dionysos of Natchitoches invites clubs, bands, dance groups, teams and organizations to join their family friendly parade. The parade rolls on February 10 at 6pm. Participation forms can be completed/submitted online https://kreweofdionysos.com/join-us

Parade stages at River South Commons parking lot (Bealls & Goodwill location); turns right on South Drive; and left on Keyser Ave; crossing the Keyser bridge. Turns left on Jefferson Street, then right on University Parkway and right on Second Street, continuing to Texas Street and turning right. Parade turns right on Washington Street continuing down Front Street to Touline Street which will officially end the parade.

Questions or correspondence can be sent to KreweOfDionysos@gmail.com

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Colby Dark is an 18 year old first year student at LA Tech from W. Monroe. Until recently, his goal in life was to become a success at construction; he wants to be a builder; that’s his college major.

However, he is putting the hammers and nails and saws and levels on the back burner for now because he’s in the process of building something else, a successful bass fishing guide business. There is a good chance for success in the guide business because of something phenomenal that happened on Caney Lake last week. Fishing with a partner, 19 year old Gage Struben, the pair hit the mother lode of big bass.

The pair fun fishing on Caney that day experienced something not many other bass anglers have accomplished anywhere. Fun fishing it was because they were obviously having a blast when over the course of two days, the two teens landed 10 bass that weighed 86 pounds and change. Folks, that’s over an 8 pound average topped off with Dark’s personal best weighing 13.5 pounds and Struben’s best weighing almost 12 pounds.

I was able to chat with Colby’s dad, Randall Dark, he shared how this amazing two days on the water happened.

“The boys had been out the day before and were fishing shallow in spots they knew,” said Dark. “They didn’t have any luck fishing shallow so they decided to try another place and were just idling along using a side scan sonar when they spotted something that captivated their attention.

The sonar picked up a big school of what they believed to be large gizzard shad being followed by a gathering of big fish that were obviously interested in the shad.

“At first, they felt the big fish following the shad were probably carp but they decided to see just what they were. Casting jigs, the show was on. Between noon when the first fish was caught – not a carp but a huge bass – and 3:00, the guys brought 38 pounds of bass to the boat, including Gage’s personal best 11.8 pounder” said Dark.

“My son had just signed to fish the pro series this year and he had arranged for a camera man and media guy to work with him. They decided to go back to the same area the next day to see if they could duplicate what they had done the first day.”

With the camera rolling, they second day was even better as the pair brought to the boat five bass weighing 46 pounds, 6 ounces topped off by Colby’s personal best 13.5 pounder. 

We were able to visit with Colby later that day to pick his brain a bit. He is a member of the LA Tech Fishing Team and will be headed for the College National Championship January 6 to be held on Lake Tohopekaliga in Florida.

“I went to Florida to pre-fish and was able to locate some good bass, catching 30 pounds two days straight,” Colby said.

He’ll be putting his school work on the back burner for awhile as he will be fishing tournaments and inviting people to go to his Facebook page and check out his Hooked Up Guide Service.

What is this teenager’s secret? “I’ve just been lucky”, he said. In my opinion, it has taken much more than luck to produce the amazing results he has enjoyed catching big bass. The professional bass fishing world has a young fellow from W. Monroe who is on a path to eventually see his name up there on the same level as the Kevin Van Dam’s of pro fishing fame.

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by Doug de Graffenried

Last spring, I went to a nursery and bought plants. I had a plethora of pots and hanging baskets filled with all manner of plants. I managed to keep the plants alive and blooming throughout last summer. Some of the plants loved our hot dry summer, others were not so thrilled. I spent dollars and hours on the plants. The sacrifice was worth it.

The same nursery dude assembled a greenhouse in my backyard. I’m certain you remember the article about the greenhouse taking off during a thunderstorm. Greenhouse 2 is staked down and has remained secure.

I thought keeping flowers thriving in the spring and summer was hard work. I was wrong. All the plants are now in the greenhouse. I didn’t know I had so many plants. I have filled up a 10 x 20 foot greenhouse. Admittedly the ferns take up much of the space. They reside in the center of the greenhouse so their fronds don’t accidentally touch the walls of the greenhouse. Fern fronds will burn easily. The ferns are nice and green and new fronds pop up each day. The shade plants are hiding under the ferns. The plants that want full sun have the joys of ultraviolet light. They are all watered and receive regular fertilizer. So far, the plant kingdom is happy.

I am also propagating plants. I have discovered it is cheaper to grow an air plant from an air plant you grew all summer. I have mature plants and baby plants in the green house. Where are all these plants going to do this spring?

Here’s the thing, I am learning, plants take time and resources to survive a Louisiana winter. I’m working harder on the plants in the greenhouse than I did when these plants were decorating the yard.

I have an investment in these plants and a commitment to keep them healthy. I think the banker in my life has also cut off my access to the checking account. I’m going to work hard this winter and enjoy the flowers this spring and summer. I will do it under budget since there is no budget.

Jesus put it this way, “If you put your hand to the plow and look back, you are not worthy of the kingdom.” He was not just taking about plowing a straight row. Jesus wanted to remind us of something important. The goal is ahead. The prize is out there too. Keep your head down, keep plugging away, keep working. You got this! Your hard work, your plugging away will pay dividends. We are all working for a better tomorrow and in Jesus’ name, perseverance and plugging away, will be rewarded.

Amid your hard work, Jesus is saying, “You’ve got this, because I’ve got you!” Your sacrifice, in Jesus’ name, are the seeds that will grow into something beautiful.

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Did you know you can donate your cap and gown back to NSU for students to use for their graduation? Dr. Jennifer Shaw, Louisiana Title IV-E Program, with support from the Department of Social Work, created the “Gowns for Grads” program to provide students with a free rental of graduation caps, gowns, and additional items (tassels, cords, stoles, etc.)

For more information, visit https://northwesternstatealumni.com/gowns/

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DHS Secretary bizarrely links crisis to “climate change”

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Shreveport-LA) and numerous other House Republicans recently traveled to the Texas border town of Eagle Pass, at which border patrol officials record more than 4,000 contacts with illegal immigrants daily. The Johnson visit highlights our nation’s insanely dysfunctional immigration system which, it is estimated, has allowed more than 6.5 million people to cross our southern border illegally in the past three years and up to 12,000 people who illegally enter the United States every day. (Customs and Border Protection data).

As I have recounted previously, this invasion has overwhelmed the capacity of border towns and states, prompting Texas governor, Greg Abbot, and Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, to begin busing or flying these illegals to “sanctuary cities” in heavily blue states and blue cities. In fact, most of the liberal “blue” states in America have had no real issue with the Biden Administration’s “open borders” policy. In fact, it’s been considered “racist” and “bigoted” to want to place any limitations on who could steal their way into our country.

Well, as a consequence of the transporting of these illegals, the illegal immigration plague has descended upon these liberal cities—like Chicago, Denver and New York—and they are clamoring for relief. What hypocrisy. Abbot has vowed to continue sending illegals to these cities to lessen the burden on actual border towns and states and so these liberal enclaves will know what it feels like to be a “border town.”

Speaker Johnson stated with regard to President Biden, “it was on his very first day in office that President Biden stopped construction of a southern border wall, and he ended the Remain in Mexico policy. It was estimated … that if the Biden Administration would reinstate just the Remain in Mexico policy, it could stem the flow by probably 70 percent or more, but he refuses to do it.”

If the whole situation were not such a dangerous and tragic one, it would be hard not to say “I told you so” to these American “sanctuary cities” who have ignored federal immigration law for years and done everything possible to impede law enforcement from apprehending and deporting illegals.

For these reasons, Speaker Johnson has unequivocally called on the president to “take immediate executive action, including putting an end to the ‘catch and release’ policy and either deporting or detaining those crossing the border illegally,” reinstating the Remain in Mexico policy instituted during the Trump administration, and resuming construction of the border wall.

Governor Abbot has described as “pathetic” the response of Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Alexandra Mayorkas, after Mayorkas blamed the immigration crisis on “climate change,” among other things. “Climate change? Mayorkas is pathetic,” Abbot stated, “The REAL reason illegal immigration records are being set is because Biden refuses to enforce immigration laws.”

The extraordinary scope of the invasion of our southern border doesn’t even address the “169 individuals on the terror watch list that have been detained at the border so far this year … this represents a 10-fold increase from FY 2021.” (U.S. Senator S. M. Capito).

And the number of terrorists caught and detained on the border requires an answer to the question: How many terrorists have succeeded in crossing our border into the US? If even a few terrorists have crossed the border without being caught, great harm can result to our nation. We must remember that only 19 terrorists illegally in our country caused the tragedy of September 11th and the deaths of 3,000 innocent American citizens.

Recall the unrelenting efforts of the Trump Administration to suppress and turn back the tide of illegals of every kind. Please know that we are long past talking about citizens from all over the world who are coming to America to work, seeking a better life. We are now having transported into our country illegally massive quantities of drugs (including fentanyl which is killing Americans every day and roughly 100,000 each year), human and child trafficking, violent criminals, terrorists, and everything in between.

This is the point: one of the constitutional powers that actually is directly granted to the federal government is the solemn obligation to secure our borders and defend them against invasion. The Biden Administration is, by design, abjectly failing at this responsibility.

As President Trump has said, “If you don’t have borders then you don’t have a country.”

This. Must. Stop. Now.
—
Royal Alexander

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(Shreveport, LA) – United Way of Northwest Louisiana (UWNWLA) exceeded its end-of-year $50,000 fundraising goal and raised $70,000 to support its educational program, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Funds raised to support the program will sponsor 2,000 children living in Northwest Louisiana for the following year.  

On November 7, 2023, UWNWLA launched its end-of-year giving campaign centered around the Imagination Library for the second consecutive year. With the support of patrons, UWNWLA mails a free, age-appropriate book each month to children from birth to age five through this program, giving children the social and developmental tools needed to be successful in school and later in life. Approximately 43 donors gave to join the United Way Book Club in support of the Imagination Library. UWNWLA was also awarded a $25,000 grant from AEP SWEPCO and a $7,700 grant from the City of Natchitoches to increase the program’s impact. 

Studies show that 27% of Louisiana adults are illiterate, which is 959,109 individuals out of Louisiana’s population. Moreover, the National Assessment of Adult Literacy reports that two-thirds of children beginning the fifth grade who cannot already read proficiently will be dependent upon government assistance or wind up in prison when they become adults. In an effort to make a long-term and economic difference for Northwest Louisiana, UWNWLA is no longer only targeting children’s homes through the Imagination Library, allowing donors’ impact to stretch further. 

Donors who gave to join the Book Club are enabling the organization to provide a set of Imagination Library books to underserved Pre-K classrooms, ensuring literacy and language development occurs in and out of school. In addition, it’s allowing UWNWLA to host parent workshops, where the organization will teach parents the proper techniques to read with their child and provide them with helpful resource materials. Lastly, donations are helping the organization remain connected with parents of children enrolled in the program until they reach kindergarten by providing monthly activities corresponding with the book they will receive that month. 

“We are overwhelmed by the generous support of our community this holiday season, especially since we know it’s an expensive time of year,” said LaToria W. Thomas, UWNWLA President & CEO. “We are more than grateful that our supporters share our vision of going beyond placing books in homes and helping us to take the extra steps to ensure language and literacy development is occurring through a required interactive experience. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for giving the gift of reading so more of our children have the opportunity to reach brighter futures.” 

While the organization has had a successful campaign, UWNWLA will need to reach a larger goal of $600,000 to enroll all 33,000 children who could benefit from the Imagination Library in the organization’s ten-parish region. Thanks to an anonymous donor, a $5,000 match has been pledged if our community can raise $5,000 to support the program. International Paper has also agreed to a $5,000 match through a partnership with Champions for Literacy, potentially giving UWNWLA $10,000 total and allowing 285 more students to enroll in the program.  

To learn more and give today, please visit https://unitedwaynwla.org/united-way-book-club/. 

 To enroll your child in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, please visit https://unitedwaynwla.org/our-focus/education/dolly-partons-imagination-library/.  

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Over the past quarter century, the South owns college football national championships. Monday night’s Michigan-Washington title matchup was rare as a Baptist who hates bacon.

Hope our northern football-playing brothers and sisters enjoyed Monday’s scrap — hat tip to the Wolverines, a fast and fun-to-watch 34-13 winner over the Huskies — because history suggests it will be a while before such shenanigans happen again. 

In the 1998 season, trying to break free from naming a national champion by poll voting (and because the new way would mean more money for the TV schools), college football moved to a Bowl Championship Series.

The first BCS Championship game was the 1999 Fiesta Bowl.

Tennessee beat Florida State, 23-16. Rocky Top.

The second was the 2000 Sugar. 

Florida State beat Virginia Tech, 46-29. Remember how VA Tech teams were mean back then? Blocked like four kicks a game? 

The third was the 2001 Orange.

Oklahoma beat Florida State, 13-2, to finish the season undefeated in a game no one remembers — outside of the opening coin flip by beloved actor Denzel Washington (who I almost ran over in my Jeep, corner of Lake and Louisiana, years ago — another story for another time).

You can’t help but notice something about those matchups, right? All the teams, both the winners and losers, are from Southern states. (And yes, Oklahoma, our geography books say, is part of the West South Central States, along with the Ark-La-Tex. Boomer Sooner.)

Nebraska, an Official Northern State, at long last made the finals in 2002 and was summarily handed its helmet by Miami, 37-14, back when The U was still The U and Nebraska was enjoying its final days of football glory.

We will summarize here to make the point: counting Monday night’s Michigan-Washington game, there have been 26 title contests since the BCS began. Of those, 22 have been won by Southern teams. Four have been won by Northern teams: Ohio State won it all twice (in 2003 against Miami in OT, 31-24, and in 2015 against Oregon, 42-20), USC beat Oklahoma in 2005, 55-19, and Michigan beat Washington Monday night.

So the South is 22-4 in The Big Pigskin Enchilada. That overwhelming. That’s rain water against Noah. Consonants verses verbs. No mas.

Of the 26 title games since the first one in 1999, 15 have been All Southern matchups. Nine have been North vs. South, and the South has won seven of those; the North’s two wins came when Ohio State beat Miami in ’03 and USC beat the Okies in ’05. Two title games have been All North: Ohio State over Oregon in 2015 and Monday night’s scrap down in Houston.

If those illustrations aren’t enough, the following names and numbers, to me, hammer home the South’s dominance in the past quarter century.

From 1999-2006 (the BCS infancy), eight different schools won the title, and four of the eight title games were All South matchups. Of the 16 teams in those eight games, only three were non-Southern schools.

From 2007-2014 — the BCS National Championship Game series over eight seasons — Alabama won three titles, Florida won two, and Auburn/Aubrin, Florida State, and LSU won one each. You’ll find Big Foot before you’ll find a non-Southern champion during this run. (Only Ohio State twice and Oregon and Notre Dame, once each, even played for a title during those eight seasons.)

Finally, since the “College Football Playoff National Championship” began with Ohio State beating Oregon in 2015, the Buckeyes in 2021 (52-24 losers to Bama) are the only Northern school, until Monday night’s matchup, to play in the title game. The other seven games have been All The South, All The Time. A whole bunch of Bama, Clemson/Climpson, Georgia, and LSU. Over and over and over. TCU wandered in from “over Texas way” last January representing the South and played as if they were from the North, getting drubbed by 58 by Georgia. Still, they were America’s next-best opponent and the Bulldogs found them just one time zone over.

It will be no surprise when next season’s 12-team playoff is Southern flavored. Book it. And it should come as no surprise to learn, in case you didn’t realize it, that the campus of the 2024 CFP champs is in Ann Arbor, and that Ann Arbor is in … southern Michigan. Deep Southern Michigan. Almost to the state line. Figures … 

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

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12/25/23

Jackson, Dameisha
B F 30
Mansfield
Operating while intoxicated; first offense penalties

12/26/23

Griffin, Ricardo
B M 33
Mansfield
Resisting an Officer
Disturbing the Peace
Drunkenness

12/28/23

Tamplin, John Bryce
B M 19
Shreveport
Use of Multiple Beam
Possession of drug paraphernalia

Wright, Jarrett Lee
M 18
Shreveport
Possession of Marijuana
Possession of Drug Paraphenalia

Jackson, Dequadrick
B M 18
Mansfield
Simple Criminal Damage to Property
Resisting an Officer by Flight

Spillman, Rickey Loy
M 66
Frierson
Operating while intoxicated; first offense
Switched License Plate
Expired Driver’s License

Mitchell, Charles Luis
B M 33
Bossier
Modify exhaust system
Driving Under Suspension
Possession of CDSII
Second or Subsequent Offense

12/29/23

Hill, Malcom Deshaun
B M 27
Madison, AR
Fugitive Warrant
Warrant

Robinson, Ladonna
B F 40
Mansfield
Violation of Protective Order

Wesley, Tyrese Shamar
B M 18
Monroe
Resisting an Officer

12/30/23

Hamilton, Chelsea Rae
W F 35
Lake Charles
Operating while intoxicated; first offense: penalties
Careless Operation

McConnaughey, Michael
W M 46
Ruston
Operating a vehicle under suspension for Certain Prior Offenses
Driving in Wrong Lane

Ball, Jamal Marshon
B M 25
Fugitive Warrant

12/31/23

Hall, Undria D
B F 64
Logansport
Resisting and Officer

Williams, Quinshala
B F 36
Mansfield
Warrant Desoto Parish

01/02/24

Blomberg, Glenn
W M 47
Stonewall
Probation violation

1/03/24

Luke, Jake
W M 34
Possession of Marijuana

McMullin, Beverly
W F 26
Bossier City
Identity Theft

Chiasson, Beverly
W F 26
Bossier City
Identity Theft>1000

1/04/24

Corley, John Brady
W M 46
Many
Possession of CDS II

Crawford, Carlos P Jr.
B M 33
Zwolle
Possession of CDS II

Spillers, Todd
W M 52
Shreveport
Possession of CDS II

1/6/24

Williams, Chavis
B M 43
Shreveport
Driving in wrong lane
DWI-Second Offense

Wilson, Melvalicia
B F 28
Mansfield
Obstruction of Justice
Warrant Desoto Parish

Register, Daniel James
W M 36
Logansport
Warrant Desoto Parish

1/07/24

Myers, Andrew David
W M 30
Frierson
Domestic Abuse Battery-strangulation

Cary, Johnny Dee
W M 59
Logansport
Resisting and Officer
Careless Operation
Failure to report and accident
DWI first offense

McDonald, George Raymond
W M 66
Rockport, Tx
Reckless Operation of a Vehicle
Flight from and officer-aggravated flight from an officer
Possession of CDS II
DWI first offense: penalties

 

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If someone randomly texts, calls, or emails you and the conversation leads them to asking you to go and purchase a pre-paid card of any kind….it’s a scam. Don’t fall for this. There are so many types of pre-paid cards now such as PrePaid Visa, GreenDot, Apple, Amazon, etc. etc. The bottom line is that if they are asking you to buy a pre-paid card, it’s a scam. These scammers don’t typically ask for common payment methods because those can either be traced or declined.

Reminder: The Big Buck Contest at the Pelican Branch Library ends on January 31. Make sure to get your entries in before then. The winner will be contacted by the library.

Toledo Bend Lake Country has created a full schedule of the 2024 fishing tournaments on Toledo Bend. 
Download a printable version: https://toledobendlakecountry.com/tournaments *Please note that the schedule is subject to change at any time due to cancellations and additions. 

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Dalton Stevens
February 17, 1937 — January 8, 2024
Service: Wednesday, January 10 at 1pm at Blue Ridge Methodist Church, Converse

Dr. Howard Stuckey Wilcox
October 24, 1928 — January 6, 2024
Graveside Service: Thursday, January 11 at 10am at Grand Cane Cemetery

Bro. Dennis LaFleur
March 21, 1950 — January 6, 2024
Service: Thursday, January 11 at 2pm at First Baptist Church of Logansport

Sheila Terrell
February 18, 1952 — January 7, 2024
Service: Friday, January 12 at 2pm at Spring Ridge Baptist Church, Pleasant Hill

 

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BY MATT VINES, DESOTO PARISH JOURNAL

STONEWALL – The North DeSoto girls soccer team is attempting to build a program that can challenge for district and state championships, and this year, the foundation of that structure is defense.

The Griffins (11-2-3, 1-0 District II-1) have allowed just 12 goals in their 16 matches, which include seven shutout wins.

NDHS is unbeaten in its last six matches (5-0-1) with a pair of shutouts against Division I members Airline and Haughton (both 2-0 wins).

“We have been defending well as a team,” said NDHS coach Morgan Ersoff. “Even when one person makes a mistake, the girls have really understood and applied the defensive shape that there is always someone to cover.

“Lately I’ve challenged the girls to put the ball in the back of the net, and we have had great success doing that coming off a slower start with scoring (in the beginning of the season).”

The Griffins will face one of their toughest stretches to date when they head to West Monroe (10-5-3) on Friday followed by a home date with Episcopal (12-0-1) on Saturday.

Victories in those matches will boost an already high Division II power rating, which ranks No. 3 in the division at 8.87.

While Ersoff isn’t concerned about playoff seeding midway through the season, a higher seed means not seeing state powers like St. Thomas More until later in the playoffs. St. Thomas More knocked the Griffins out in the second round of the 2023 playoffs.

“We’re more concerned about winning the next game on our schedule, and West Monroe (No. 12 in Division I power ratings) will be a good test for us,” Ersoff said. “They are similar to us, so it could be anyone’s game.

“We have to show up and play well if we want to win. Episcopal is a top Division IV team (No. 2 in power ratings) and is a state contender once again this year. They’ve only given up four goals this season, so scoring on them is a huge goal of ours.”

District play heats up Tuesday with a home date against Parkway (8-6), who ranks No. 9 in Division II.

Win that match, and there’s almost surely a de facto district title matchup with Caddo Magnet on Jan. 16. The Mustangs are ranked No. 2 in the Division II power ratings as this district is the only in the state with three teams in the Top 10.

“Having Magnet specifically in our district is a huge test for the playoffs,” Ersoff said. “They will force us to be at our best to compete with them.”

Magnet advanced to the Division II semifinals last year, falling to St. Thomas More, 7-0. STM shut out all five of its playoff opponents en route to a state title, outscoring its foes 36-0.

But North DeSoto is an emerging power both locally and regionally in its second season in Division II, and that doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon.

The Griffins have just two seniors and are powered by a large group of sophomores and juniors.

“Our captains are definitely our leaders – Ella Cosby, Chloe Phillips and Emily Long,” Ersoff said. “That being said, it’s not just one specific group that leads us – it’s the overall chemistry of the team and their teamwork that have created our success.”

While defense has been at its core, North DeSoto has charged its offense as of late.

The Griffins have scored 15 goals in their last five matches, netting at least two goals in each contest. Four of those matches have been on the road, proving that NDHS can load up the bus and still get the job done.

Melanie Windham leads the team with 21 goals scored, accounting for nearly half of NDHS’s 45 goals this season.

But 10 different players have scored a goal this season, meaning defenses can’t key just on Windham.

That’ll be a factor for a Griffin squad that has advanced to the second round of the playoffs in each of the past four seasons but are shooting for a deeper playoff run with this bunch.

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BY MATT VINES, DeSoto Parish Journal

LOGANSPORT – Two DeSoto Parish rivals lock horns for the first time this season when the Mansfield girls basketball team heads to Logansport tonight in a 6 p.m. tip.

The Lady Wolverines (9-7) got back to their winning ways with a 63-16 shellacking of Woodlawn on Tuesday.

The Lady Tigers (7-5) already have one win against a DeSoto Parish squad since returning from the Christmas break, edging Stanley in a 57-52 road victory on Dec. 29.

Both teams created momentum throughout December and enter January on hot streaks.

Mansfield has won eight of their last 10 games, which have included wins against Class 5A members Benton and West Ouachita.

Logansport is winners of five of the last six contests, tallying blow out victories against Class 5A Byrd and Class 4A Evangel Christian in addition to a pair of wins against Stanley.

After Friday’s matchup, Mansfield enters its District 3-2A slate while Logansport will face North DeSoto on Tuesday before starting its District 3-1A schedule.

North DeSoto is also on a tear coming out of the break, winning three games in the Caldwell Parish Tournament. The Lady Griffins topped Mangham (40-35), Vidalia (50-33) and Winnfield (39-28) before they host Doyline tonight at 6 p.m.

The Lady Griffins (12-4) have won five of the last six.

Stanley (5-15) is steadily improving with single-digit losses to Weston and Logansport in its last two games. The Lady Panthers, who have dropped four of their last five, will travel to Starks tonight in a 5 p.m. tip.

 

Stanley boys snap losing streak with win against Logansport

Stanley ended a seven-game losing streak that lasted 25 days this past Friday when the Panthers knocked off Logansport, 52-48.

The Panthers (7-16) held off the Tigers as Stanley has logged wins in two of three matchups with Logansport this season.

Stanley returns to action tonight as they travel to Starks before starting District 3-B action against Zwolle on Tuesday.

Logansport (3-4), who missed 17 free throws in the loss to Stanley, will gear up for a home contest against North DeSoto on Tuesday.

North DeSoto (5-0) puts its perfect record on the line when they host Doyline tonight in a 7:30 p.m. matchup.

The Griffins are off to their best start in many years and have already surpassed the two total wins from the 2022-23 season.

Mansfield (3-12) dropped its opening contest of the new year at Woodlawn, 56-24. The Wolverines have lost five of their last six as they head into District 3-2A play starting with Many on Tuesday.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 3, 2024
Contact: govpress@la.gov

 Gov. John Bel Edwards’ Farewell Address

As prepared for delivery: 

Good evening! Thank you all so much for coming out tonight and joining Donna and me in our hometown of Amite. As I look out into this crowd, I see family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers who have supported and encouraged me since day one.

As y’all probably know, This town is where I first learned the importance of faith, family, and hard work. It’s where my mama, a charity hospital nurse, and my Papa, one of four sheriffs in our family, taught me the value of public service.

I grew up here with the best, most loving and supportive siblings who worked so hard to ensure our success: Alice, Frank, Clay, Andrew, Morgan, and Daniel – I love y’all.

Amite is where one day in the seventh grade I met a sweet, beautiful schoolmate who I knew, even then, would be the love of my life. And she’s with me tonight as she has been just about every day since.

Give me a second to brag on Donna, y’all. I know I’m biased, but she is the best first lady in Louisiana history.

There is no job description for being a first lady, but that did not stop Donna. She identified the areas that she was passionate about, used her creativity, got busy connecting people across the state, even across the nation and globe to work with her and she has done an outstanding job.

Donna is a true champion for children, women and families. From elevating the importance of music, movement and art education, to providing a supportive network for foster children and families, and working tirelessly to help prevent and raise awareness about human trafficking, – she has accomplished so much for our state. And she did all of that while also preserving the history and beauty of the Governor’s Mansion.

The improvements she has made will be there for generations to enjoy.

Donna inspires me every day. She prays with me every day. I could not have asked for a better partner in life or a better mother to our children – Samantha Bel, Sarah Ellen and John Miller. All of whom have been absolute troopers throughout the last 10 years and a great blessing to us.

Donna and I are proud to represent Amite. This is where we raised our children and now look forward to being grandparents. This is where my brother, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather have served as sheriff. This is the district that first entrusted me to represent them in elected office, and I have worked hard to maintain that trust every day in every decision I made.

And that is why I wanted my final speech as Governor to be here, with you, where it all began. None of our success would’ve been possible without the people of Amite and Tangipahoa Parish.

I’ll never forget the day I was sitting in the Legislature, talking to my good friend Sam Jones, telling him I’d had enough of the governor we had at the time. He was leading us into a crippling budget crisis – the extent of which we had yet to fully understand. Students were fleeing the state because of the largest disinvestment to higher education in the country. One of the nation’s largest percentages of working poor were being deprived of health insurance that was readily available. Business-as-usual politics was holding us back.

So I told Sam, “I’m running for governor.”

Not many people believed I could win. But choosing this path was never about power. It was never about proving a point. It wasn’t about politics. It wasn’t even about me. It was about people. People like you all here tonight.

Diversity was important to me from day one. I am proud to say that we have had the most diverse and the most competent administration in state history with cabinet, boards, commissions and staff that look like the state of Louisiana. Their quality is inextricably linked to diversity.

Now let’s go back to 2016 and talk about the challenges we’ve met and the progress we’ve delivered over eight years. Because my story is your story. And I want you all to be proud of what we’ve accomplished for Louisiana together. All of it on a bipartisan basis.

Spoiler alert: our state is much better off today than it was 8 years ago in numerous critically important and objectively verifiable ways. In fact, not just better, but in many respects the best and strongest Louisiana has ever been.

When I took office, the state had a $2 billion deficit and a grand total of $400 million in the Budget Stabilization Fund. I am leaving with a balanced budget and more than $3 billion in reserve accounts.

The Budget Stabilization Fund, known as the rainy day fund, by itself now has a billion dollars.

There’s also more than $2.2 billion in the Revenue Stabilization Fund, which did not exist until my first year as Governor. We had a $300 million surplus last fiscal year. We have $91.4 million in excess revenue for the current fiscal year. And we currently are looking at 99.8 million in increase in State General Fund for next fiscal year.

Simply put, we are in excellent financial shape.

These savings have been accomplished while also INVESTING in critical priorities and paying record amounts to the pension systems’ unfunded accrued liability, to retire debt, and to pay judgements.

Let’s talk about education for a moment – the reason I ran for governor in the first place.

We have given teachers a total of $5,300 in raises; $2,650 for support workers.

We have significantly increased funding for early childhood education – in fact, the most ever in the state general fund in the current budget.

We are making historic investments in higher education – Including an increase of $465 million in recurring funding for operational expenses.

My administration has worked to pass honest, fiscally sound budgets that adequately fund Louisiana’s most critical priorities. We have operated state government in a cost-effective, efficient and transparent manner in an effort to best serve taxpayers, attract new businesses and investors and ensure a high quality of life for the people of Louisiana. 

That is a huge difference from my predecessor’s days of smoke and mirrors budgeting, fund sweeps, one time money for recurring expenditures, and incessant budget cuts to be followed by mid-year cuts. In contrast, we have produced surpluses every single year. I want to pause for a moment to thank Jay Dardenne and his wonderful staff for their excellent work.

And over the last 8 years, the growth of the State General Fund has been less than inflation. Let me say that again – over the last 8 years, the growth of the State General Fund has been less than inflation.

And we’re making progress on other fronts too.

I am very proud to say that our unemployment rate is the lowest ever measured for the month of November at 3.5% – well below the national average. And we keep beating our own records month after month.

I am also proud to tell you that in the third quarter, Louisiana’s real Gross Domestic Product grew faster than 45 other states, at a rate of 6.6%. The national rate was 4.9%. Our real GDP was higher than many other southern states, including Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia and Florida.

Something else I’m really proud of is the replenishment of our unemployment trust fund. You know, there is a law that says if you go below $100 million in the unemployment trust fund, there is a solvency tax on businesses that the state must levy. Because of COVID, we were headed in that direction. But I insisted that wouldn’t happen and we came together to replenish that fund without taxing employers more. That fund’s at $924 million today, and the forecast is for almost $1.1 billion by next August – almost exactly where it was going into COVID.

We are making monumental investments in critical infrastructure. My administration has allocated nearly $5.5 billion to more than 2,000 infrastructure projects around the state, including nearly 7,000 miles of road improvements.

And by the way, while I’m on the topic of transportation, Louisiana has certainly not been shortchanged by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Based on formula funding alone, Louisiana is expected to receive $7.5 billion dollars. Louisiana is 16th in per capita formula funding and 12th in total resilience funding that we’ve received and that’s 9th per capita.

Over $10.1 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act funding has been announced for Louisiana. This includes $1.29 billion for Resilience of Infrastructure, much of which is allocated to protect Louisiana’s coast through grants to CPRA and direct federal spending from USACE.

Speaking of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we committed years ago to closing the digital divide by 2029. Just a few weeks ago I announced that Louisiana is leading the country in putting Bipartisan Infrastructure Law broadband funding to work. We are the first state in America to receive our funding allocation—setting a model for other states. That $1.35 billion will ensure we close the digital divide by 2029 by having affordable high speed internet available at every business and residential address across the state.

Now, let’s talk about the progress we’ve made in economic development.

We have announced more than 261 economic development projects representing $94 Billion in capital investment in Louisiana. Those projects will result in the creation of an estimated 80,000+ direct and indirect new jobs.

We have expanded programs to create small business contract opportunities with the state, support women and minority entrepreneurs, and promote small businesses owned by military veterans and Gold Star spouses.

Hudson Initiative expenditures with disadvantaged businesses increased nearly 300% between 2016 and 2022 – from $32 million to $90.5 million.

In 2016, I signed an executive order to reign in and reform the Industrial Tax Exemption Program that was overly generous. Instead of the 100% exemption, it’s now a max 80% exemption for a 5 year term, with the option of another 5 year term if obligations are met. We tied it to job creation and gave locals a voice since only local property taxes were at issue.

Fears that these ITEP reforms would reduce capital investment in the state were not only unfounded, they were exactly wrong. ITEP projects averaged $10 billion per year pre-reform in manufacturing projects and post-reform they averaged $25 billion.

Giving local governments a say in whether their property taxes are exempted has proven extremely beneficial to both communities and the economic growth of the state. In fact, locals have realized $750 million more in revenue for police and fire protection, education, and local roads and bridges.

Louisiana’s manufacturing jobs – the “gold standard” indicator of economic health, due to their positive ripple effect on the economy at large – ended 2022 at their highest level in seven years.

We have successfully implemented an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy that leveraged the only Climate Action Plan in the Gulf South to drive new energy investment, while continuing to support companies meeting current market demand for oil & gas.

Just last week, the EPA gave Louisiana primacy in class VI well permitting – just the third state ever – and this will allow us to reduce CO2 emissions, grow the economy, and create jobs – all in furtherance of our climate action plan.

The result: Louisiana is now a global leader in the energy transition and a major international player in the booming LNG market.

Economist Loren Scott predicted that Louisiana will add 80,000 new jobs in 2024 and 2025, thanks in large part to the huge investments our state is seeing from clean energy projects.

We capitalized on coastal restoration efforts to establish Louisiana as an international water management industry hub anchored by the Water Campus in Baton Rouge. We have completed 72 projects, started 82, and procured $12.5 billion in coastal funding.

We are diversifying our economy. We have supported investments in emerging sectors such as tech, cybersecurity, life sciences and aerospace, and reinvestments in logistics assets like the $1.8 billion Louisiana International Terminal container facility at the Port of New Orleans.

I’m immensely proud that my first act as Governor was to expand Medicaid. Now, more than 500,000 working Louisianans have access to healthcare who otherwise wouldn’t. I have said this many times before and I will say it again here tonight. Medicaid expansion was the easiest big decision I made in this office.

Because of that decision, our uninsured rate is now below the national average, the state has saved money and addressed our fiscal problems, hospitals and other providers are better reimbursed, and not a single rural hospital has closed in the state. That is a far cry from some of our neighbors.

In 2017, we advanced bipartisan criminal justice reform. We reduced our incarceration rate from 760 per 100,000 in 2016 to 564 in 2021 – which is the latest data we have, and we no longer have the nation’s highest incarceration rate. We enacted data driven reforms based on best practices, focused on non-violent and non-sex offenders.

We did all this while also overcoming some of the worst natural disasters in Louisiana history and a global pandemic. To the Louisiana Department of Health and the Office of Public Health, Dr. Courtney Phillips, Steve Russo, and Dr. Joe Kanter: Thank you.

In fact, there have been over 244 emergencies, resulting in around 50 state disaster declarations and 21 federal disaster declarations. I don’t know if that’s a record, but I know it’s certainly way up there.

We have met every single one of those challenges, and we have delivered progress for our people.

I know many of the folks here today were present when I gave my first inaugural address at the capitol in 2016. In that speech, I talked about how my West Point education and Army experience influence the way I govern.

In military terms, victory is won by getting timely and accurate information, formulating a sound strategy and employing the tactics necessary to succeed. I endeavored to employ that formula in every decision I have made. From COVID to hurricanes to the budget and everything in between: I looked at situations from every perspective and collectively, with the best advisors a governor could ask for, made decisions that I felt would best serve the people of Louisiana.

In that first Inaugural, I quoted General MacArthur’s farewell address to West Point when he said that in challenging times leaders must work “to build courage when courage seems to fail; to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith; to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.”

Little did I know how much those words, so ingrained in me during my formative years, would ring true as I embarked on this mission of leading our great state over these past eight years.

But more than my military experiences, I leaned on my faith. Some people call me the “crisis governor” because of all the challenges we’ve faced over the past 8 years. When I took office on January 11th, 2016, not one of us could have predicted the obstacles we would have to overcome.

But I’m certain that God knew. He knew what was ahead. I put my trust in him, and I will forever be humbled that he, and y’all, saw fit to entrust me to lead and serve Louisiana through those trying days.

My prayer at the beginning of this journey, and each day since, was that of Solomon. Or in my words, “Give me the wisdom to know the right thing to do, and the courage to do it.”

Together, we have righted so many wrongs. We’ve built on the future while maintaining what makes Louisiana great.

The sugar cane still grows. The Red River still flows. Tourists still flock to Mardi Gras. Those Tangipahoa strawberries are still the best in the world. The good times still roll.

We still have our challenges to be sure, but this beautiful melting pot of cultural gumbo that we are blessed to live in has never been better.

We did put people over politics. And without question, by almost every available metric, we leave Louisiana much better than we found it eight years ago and stronger than ever. I leave the governor’s office as optimistic as I have ever been about our future.

That breeze of hope is still blowing, and I have faith that it will continue.

Louisiana, I will forever be your humble servant. But for now… Amite, I’m coming home with a grateful heart.

God bless you all, and God bless the great state of Louisiana.

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I think it is always important to assess where we are and where it seems we are going. To that end, I review here some of the numerous things about which we can be thankful and for which we can be hopeful as we head into 2024.

In Shreveport-Bossier, we continue to be blessed by God to live next to the Red River—a tremendous economic asset I’ve outlined in a previous article about the Port of Caddo-Bossier (whose businesses are virtually always hiring)—which has a direct economic impact on all of N. Louisiana. We also continue to be blessed to be at the intersection of two federal interstates, I-20, and I-49, which continue to attract regional and national businesses to this area for that very reason.

In fact, it’s rare to go a week without some new or current business, industry or educational institution announcing either a groundbreaking or an expansion in Caddo, Bossier or the surrounding parishes. Here is just a sampling:

BRF announced LSU Health Shreveport School of Allied Health Professions will soon be offering a new program, a Bachelor of Science in Cardiovascular Technology (BS-CVT); This is to say nothing of the recently completed LSU Health Shreveport $79 million Center for Medical Education. The building, which was funded through a public-private partnership, includes a new home for the Center of Excellence for Emerging Viral Threats, twenty-seven teaching classrooms, two 250-seat lecture halls, a 500-seat auditorium, along with a dining hall and wellness center.

Amazon is again hiring for its Shreveport Robotics facility; that national beverage manufacturer, Multipack Services, announced a $10.4 million investment in establishing a new production facility in Shreveport, creating approximately 141 jobs; the new Teal Jones Plain Dealing, LLC Sawmill Site; further, it can only be characterized as a bright spot to drive by 500 Fannin Street in Shreveport, the old federal building, that is being re-envisioned as the Northwest Louisiana State Office and is already looking radically different; speaking of downtown Shreveport, the Shreveport City Council has agreed to a lease between G-Unit Film & Television Louisiana and Millennium Studios. Mayor Tom Arceneaux stated at the groundbreaking on Nov. 20, the agreement will save the city nearly $180,000 a year.

As also recently announced by BRF, Northwest Louisiana is close to offering the state’s most technologically advanced PET/CT scanner to the Center for Molecular Imaging and Therapy (CMIT), with artificial intelligence capabilities. The scanner will be purchased using BRF funds and $2 million in federal funding sponsored by U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy. All of this is to say nothing of the continued growth and enormous impact of Barksdale Air Force Base, Ft. Polk, and other military-related entities in our region. Finally, the mere fact of Speaker Mike Johnson.

And on and on.

At the local level, we have elected new, energetic individuals to help direct our city and parish government. At some point we will have a new Caddo Sheriff. Mayor Arceneaux is working hard to redirect parts of city government that are desperately in need of it. I am confident we will get the crime issue under control with targeted community policing as well as the vigilant assistance of our residents.

At the state level, we have elected a new governor and other statewide elected officials who bring both experience and judgment to those positions. Governor-elect Jeff Landry is likely to lead our state legislature in a markedly pro-business direction while removing numerous regulations and other obstacles to economic growth in Louisiana. He will also have a differently constituted Legislature with whom to partner.

At the national level, notwithstanding some of the breathtakingly poor policy choices of our federal government—and the resulting difficult economic conditions—the American economy remains the most creative and adaptable in the world, our entrepreneurs unrivaled. We will eventually come out of this inflation, high gas, groceries prices and similar burdens because the free market—when free of government meddling—always finds equilibrium.

There are many reasons to be hopeful about the coming new year. With prayers, gratitude, and hard work we can truly accomplish anything!

As Pres. Reagan stated: “I’ve always thought New Year’s Day was an especially American tradition, full of the optimism and hope we’re famous for in our daily lives–an energy and confidence we call the American spirit. Perhaps because we know we control our own destiny, we believe deep down inside that working together we can make each new year better than the old.”

Royal Alexander

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Louisiana is the No. 45 growth state in the U.S., backsliding 10 spots from its previous ranking, according to the U-Haul^® Growth Index analyzing one-way customer moves during 2023. 

One-way U-Haul customers arriving in Louisiana fell 8% from 2022 while departures fell more than 5% as overall moving traffic slowed. 

Do-it-yourself movers arriving in Louisiana accounted for 49.2% of all one-way U-Haul traffic in and out of the Pelican State (50.8% departures). 

Louisiana’s top growth cities are Lake Charles, Hammond and Covington. Other notable net-gain markets include Lafayette, Gonzales, Zachary, Broussard, Carencro, Houma and Denham Springs. Chalmette, Prairieville and Youngsville are among several break-even markets. 

The U-Haul Growth Index is compiled according to the net gain of one-way U-Haul trucks, trailers and U-Box moving containers arriving in a city or state, versus departing from that city or state, in a calendar year. Migration trends data is compiled from more than 2.5 million one-way U-Haul customer transactions that occur annually across the U.S. and Canada. 

While U-Haul migration trends do not correlate directly to population or economic growth, the U-Haul Growth Index is an effective gauge of how well states and cities are attracting and maintaining residents. 

Find the complete 2023 U-Haul Growth States rankings at myuhaulstory.com. 

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Today I am going way off topic to give my perspective on what has become my own hot button issue….my sanity! The country we live in today is not one any of us thought we would ever see. The division, turmoil, and lack of respect for one another is off the chart.

People have lost their moral compass and the ability to see clearly. This has led to an erosion of our society and our sanity. But what can we do to change our own mental health? Is there something each of us can do to improve our outlook on life?
America has become a society of selfishness and what can you do for me. Our young generation of Millennials, for some reason, has no regard for our history, nor do they care. Everyone wants to erase our past, both good and bad. They don’t understand that destroying statues and monuments does not change the past. The only thing we can change is the future, by not repeating the same mistakes we made before.

On my weekly radio show, Hook’N Up & Track’N Down that’s been on air for the last 16 years, I made a promise to myself on three things. One, the show would not seek or promote alcohol companies for sponsorship. Two, I would not use the show as a political platform to express my personal viewpoints. I’ve always felt that no one wants to hear MY opinion on how they should think when it comes to political issues or who to vote for. The only exception to rule number two is if there’s a hot topic infringing on our right to hunt and fish. Three, I would cover all things related to God’s great outdoors by educating and entertaining our loyal fans.

With so much negativity going on in this country, the question is, “How do we maintain our sanity?” I’m going to give some great advice on what you can do to help eliminate the depression and anxiety you feel. It’s a simple answer…. stop watching the news channels! Every day we are exposed to all the bad things going on, not just here in our country, but all over the world. You start to worry and stress yourself on things you have no control over.

Sure, we all want to make a difference, but if our own mental health is not good how can we help others? TV is the root of a lot of our mental health issues. Every single day, seven days a week, we are bombarded with political division, mass shootings, wars, and issues that it seems none of us can agree on or resolve. Every news station like CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, or any of the big three CBS, NBC, or ABC, has their own agenda and wants you to think like they do whether it’s a conservative or liberal viewpoint.

A good friend of mine gave me some great advice one day as we talked about some political issues over lunch. Even though we don’t agree on many political viewpoints, I still respect his views because I respect him as a person. Sometimes we both have to agree to disagree, but we don’t hold our viewpoints (however different they might be) against one another. We can have a decent conversation about Trump or Biden and not walk away enemies. But one day he gave me some great advice as he told me to stop watching Fox News, even though they seem to fall more in line with my conservative views.
So, I decided to take his advice and take a break from ALL news stations. We should all take this advice and eliminate the fog in our brain that inhibits our ability to reason and make good decisions. After taking this advice, I found my mental outlook improved in a rather short time frame. Now I still watch the news channels, but in small doses. This doesn’t mean you can’t stay up to date on what’s taking place in our world but try watching more shows that promote good mental health.

For me that would be hunting and fishing shows, along with collegiate and professional sports. For others, it might be cooking and home fixer up programs or if you really want that warm fuzzy feeling, watch the Hallmark channel!! This will always put you in a great mood especially during the holiday season where the leading man or woman ends up meeting the mate of their dreams and living happily ever after….ON EVERY EPISODE!!!!

From now on I’ll try and stick to writing more about my fishing adventures, but today I felt like this was something I needed to get off my chest. Till next time, remember…stop watching all the news channels and watch more programs that make you feel good. Your mind will thank you and you’ll get your sanity back.

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Louisiana Highway Safety Commission News Release

January 4, 2024

Statewide –– Do you or your organization have an idea for a project or initiative to improve traffic safety for Louisiana road users? If so, January 31 is the deadline to apply for funding to implement the idea, the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission announced.

Grants are being offered to local, parish and state agencies; non-profit organizations; universities or other institutions of higher learning; local school boards or schools; corporations; hospitals; highway safety advocacy groups and individuals.

Successful grants will assist LHSC in addressing traffic safety problems, expanding an ongoing activity or developing a new program or countermeasure. Projects eligible for funding must be directly related to highway safety and support at least one of the LHSC goals. Possible project proposals could include, but are not limited to, education, outreach, prevention and enforcement.

Detailed information on problem identification, submission requirements and the application is available at https://www.lahighwaysafety.org/grants/apply-for-a-grant/.

Proposals will be accepted beginning January 1, 2024 through January 31, 2024 and must be submitted electronically. Applicants must submit proposals online before 4:30 p.m. CST on Jan. 31. Late or incomplete proposals for funding will not be considered.

LHSC will fund projects from Oct. 1, 2024, through Sept. 30, 2025. Projects must address impaired driving; distracted driving; police traffic services; speeding and aggressive driving; occupant protection; child passenger safety; pedestrian, bicycle or motorcycle safety; traffic records or community traffic safety.

To apply for a grant, go to http://www.lahighwaysafety.org/, and select “Apply For A Grant” from the menu at the top of the page to see an overview of the grant process. From there, applicants can find links to the LHSC FFY 2025 Call for Proposals and Application Instructions, and to the LHSC FFY 2025 Application.

Funding comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and is allocated for one-year projects. LHSC selects and oversees the NHTSA-funded projects in Louisiana.

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EAGLE PASS — Speaker Johnson led a delegation of over 60 Members of Congress to Eagle Pass, Texas to visit the U.S.-Mexico border.

Following their visit, Speaker Johnson and House Republicans held a press conference highlighting the refusal of the Biden Administration to enforce border policy, their experience on the ground, and their discussions with federal, state, and local officials.

Below is a transcript of Speaker Johnson’s remarks at today’s press conference:

“I want to thank all my colleagues for joining me here in the epicenter of the crisis that we’re having on the border here in Eagle Pass, Texas. It’s been quite a day. I’ll tell you a little bit about what we’ve learned here today. But I first want to tell you that we have a great cross section of the House. We have 64 House Republicans that have joined us here in Eagle Pass, they represent 26 states, one territory, you have everybody from California to Maryland, from Michigan to Florida. We represent over half the U.S. states because every state in America is now a border state. And we’ve seen that on vivid display today.

“Today, we were able to meet with local residents, with sheriffs, with the Texas DPS. We also toured the CBP processing facility here in Eagle Pass, and it’s been an eye opener, one thing is absolutely clear. America is at a breaking point with record levels of illegal immigration. And today, we got a firsthand look at the damage and the chaos the border catastrophe is causing in all our communities. The situation here and across the country is truly unconscionable. We would describe it as both heartbreaking and infuriating. Our communities are overrun. We have local resources that are being scrapped. We have lethal drugs that are pouring into our country at record levels. And it’s in less than three years that President Biden took office that this has happened that we have over 7 million illegal encounters at the border. Nearly 2 million known got-aways and that doesn’t count the many that are undetected, the 312 suspects on the terrorist watchlist that have never been apprehended.

“We have no idea how many terrorists have come into the country and set up terrorism cells across the nation. Last month alone, we saw the most illegal crossings in recorded history. It is an unmitigated disaster, a catastrophe. And what’s more tragic, is that it’s a disaster of the President’s own design. About an hour ago, we had lunch and there are a number of sheriffs that work and serve here along the border of Texas. The sheriff of Terrell County was one of them. He was a former Border Patrol agent for 26 years. And he said in his estimation, it took less than six months for the Biden Administration to dismantle 100 years of progress that the U.S. border patrol had achieved.

“Some of the first actions that Joe Biden took when he rolled into the Oval Office, were that he rolled back border security measures that were put in place by the Trump Administration. Remember, it was on his very first day in office, that President Biden stopped construction of a southern border wall, and he ended the Remain in Mexico policy. It was estimated on our tour just a moment ago, that if the Biden Administration would reinstate just the Remain in Mexico policy, it could stem the flow by probably 70% or more, but he refuses to do it. And since the time that President Biden took office, the administration has done next to nothing to protect the border. But we’ve all seen with our own eyes, they have opened the border wide to the entire world. It’s estimated that nearly 170 countries have people coming in and flowing across this border. And some of these are from nations that have high numbers of concentration. And these are these are not people who are fleeing and looking for asylum that are in fear for their lives in their home countries. We have hardened criminals coming across the border. They’re the ones being released from prisons from some of these countries and sent here to come into the U.S.

“Rather than incentivizing people to come, the president needs to deter people from entering the country. Rather than discussing amnesty with Mexico, as top Biden Administration officials did within the last couple of weeks, this administration should reinstate the Remain in Mexico policy, as was said, rather than expanding parole authority to an unprecedented scale. The president should obviously end catch and release and stop the abuse of our parole and asylum systems. The president can and should act now. This doesn’t require legislation. It requires leadership. And despite the White House’s claim, he has all the authority he needs right now under existing federal law to stop this madness. But the message his policies send is the opposite of that. It’s quite clear. Under President Biden, America has laid out a welcome mat to illegal immigrants, smugglers, and cartels. He is responsible for the grave threat to our national security and our nation’s sovereignty that these policies have created. But instead of taking responsibility and providing leadership, this administration has done nothing but attack elected officials who are trying to fix this catastrophe.

“The people standing behind you have worked hard. We passed our legislation more than seven months ago. You have red and blue states across this country that are being forced to step up because the federal government has failed to do its job. Right here in Texas, Governor Abbott has heroically done more to enforce the law than the President has, and how has this administration responded? They have sued the state of Texas to stop their deterrence efforts. They have brought them to court to strike down their ability to put up buoys underwater and razor wire and the rest. It’s absolute insanity.

“The House has done its job. As I mentioned, we’ve delivered commonsense legislation that will secure our border, but it’s been sitting on Chuck Schumer’s desk for seven months. H.R. 2 was our bill and the time to act on it is yesterday. It certainly needs to happen. With each passing day, each record broken, this administration’s dereliction of duty becomes more and more dangerous and more and more infuriating. And we are here to say that it must stop. What we saw today only made House Republicans more resolved to stand for sanity and the American people and we will do it. If President Biden wants a supplemental spending bill focused on national security, it better begin by defending America’s national security. It begins right here on our southern border.”

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It was March 12, 1951. For comics aficionados, this date is important. It was the first time anyone got to experience the chaos of Dennis the Menace. A few weeks earlier, Ian Chisholm, a comic book editor, visited a music hall and heard the singers perform a song called “I’m Dennis the Menace from Venice.” The creative wheels in Ian’s brain began to turn. The title of the song played over and over in his mind. Ian’s focus was such that the rest of the performance was a blur. Within a short time, he could visualize Dennis. Dennis’ character came together so easily that it was almost as if Dennis had always existed. He had disheveled black hair, his shorts exposed his knobby knees, he wore a red and black striped shirt, and he had a devilish grin. He created a whole back story for Dennis including his family, friends, and a dog named Gnasher. Ian had Dennis in his mind. Now, he just needed him on paper.

Ian contacted artist Davey Law and described the character so Davey could draw Dennis. Davey drew Dennis as he understood him and presented his artwork to Ian. Davey was proud of his work and expected Ian to be exited to see “Dennis the Menace.” After just a glance, Ian’s face revealed his disappointment. That was not Dennis. Ian described Dennis in more detail, and Davey produced another drawing. Davey thought surely he had gotten it right this time. Again, Ian was disappointed. This cycle continued several times until Ian, who was not an artist by any stretch of the imagination, drew a rough sketch of Dennis. There was “Dennis the Menace.”

Dennis was a badly behaved schoolboy who, with his dog Gnasher, kept up a reign of terror against a group of well-behaved schoolboys known as “softies.” The most frequent recipient of Dennis’ reign of terror was Walter the Softy, although Walter sometimes got the last laugh. “Dennis the Menace” was an instant hit. In addition to comics, Dennis has been portrayed in just about every form of media including children’s books, Saturday morning cartoons, and feature films. Dennis has been drawn by a succession of artists since that important date, March 12, 1951. Children’s author Michael Rosen said, “In most children’s books, a bad child gets made good – but the great thing about Dennis is he never gets better.” Today, we would call Dennis a bully.

Wait a minute. If the “Dennis the Menace” I just described sounds unfamiliar to you, there is a good reason. The “Dennis the Menace” that we know has blond hair, wears a black and blue striped T-shirt, red overalls, and alternates between wearing white tennis shoes and going barefooted. The Dennis we know is troublesome but good-hearted. He always means well but his attempts to help others always turn into chaos. He is well-liked by the other kids in the neighborhood and could never be described as being a bully. Hank Ketcham created the Dennis we know and love and based him on his own son, Dennis Ketcham. Yes, there are two “Dennis the Menaces.” Both “Dennis the Menace” characters were created independently. The mean-spirited “Dennis the Menace” originated in the United Kingdom, and the happy-go-lucky “Dennis the Menace” originated in the United States. Ian Chisholm and Hank Ketcham were completely unaware of each other’s creation until after they were published. You see, both “Dennis the Menace” characters debuted on the exact same date, March 12, 1951.

Sources:
1. “Dennis the Menace and Gnasher.” Beano Wiki. Accessed December 31, 2023. https://beano.fandom.com/wiki/Dennis_the_Menace_and_Gnasher.
2. Bailey, Jonathan. “The Odd Case of Dennis the Menace.” Plagiarism Today. October 18, 2010. https://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2010/10/18/the-odd-case-of-dennis-the-menace.

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The Pelican Branch  will have Adult Bingo from 2-4pm on Monday, January 8. Join in for the fun, fellowship and prizes.

DeSoto Extension Office will hold 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

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Robert Earl “Junebug” Jones Jr.
May 13, 1969 — December 26, 2023
Service: Friday, January 5 at 11am at New Hope Baptist Church – Mansfield

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Matt Vines

STONEWALL – The North DeSoto boys soccer team is entering arguably the most crucial stretch of its season.

The Griffins (4-7-1) are just inside the playoff picture at No. 31 in the power rankings with Division II-District I play just around the corner, and the next three matches could set the tone for the rest of the season.

North DeSoto is in the midst of a six-match winless streak (0-5-1) and will try to turn around its fortunes in the new year beginning with Airline (4-7) on Thursday.

The Griffins will start their district slate Saturday against a winless Parkway squad (0-11-1) before heading to Northwood (6-3) on Tuesday.

“These next three games are extremely important,” said first-year NDHS soccer coach Logan Morrison. “We will see if we can get over the hump and start winning those close games.”

Slow starts have hampered North DeSoto this season, particularly in the six-match winless streak.

Three of those losses have been by two goals or less, including a 4-3 defeat against a Natchitoches Central squad that NDHS tied on Dec. 5 to start the six-game streak without a victory.

“We definitely had some games over those last few that we feel we should’ve won,” Morrison said. “We’ve had a couple of mistakes and a few slow starts, and we dug ourselves into holes we couldn’t get out of.

“Better starts have been a big emphasis for us moving forward.”

The Griffins experienced a quick start to their season, beginning with a 4-2 record that included wins against Grace Christian, South Beauregard, Union Parish and North Caddo.

Despite its recent struggles against tougher competition, North DeSoto is still on pace to surpass its six-win total from this past season and make a return trip to the Division II playoffs.

That playoff appearance this past season was its first in four years.

North DeSoto features a roster with a whopping 13 seniors, but the Griffins don’t have as much of an experience advantage as one might expect.

Morrison, with the help of a pair of experienced assistant coaches, installed a new system in their first seasons which is built upon possession and playing from the back line.

It’s been an adjustment for the senior-laden roster, which also incorporates underclassmen who play large roles.

“We do have a lot of experience, but it’s a new system than what they’ve always run, so that experience isn’t necessarily as beneficial as it may seem,” Morrison said. “But there’s a good mix of seniors and underclassmen that see the field a lot.

“Overall, I think it’s gone pretty well. We’re optimistic about how the system is coming along.”

Senior captains Camden Falls and Christian Roberson lead the experienced squad, even if a new system is being installed in their final high school season.

What can’t be taken away is the hundreds of minutes these Griffins have played of high school soccer, including a taste of the postseason.

That experience could be the difference in North DeSoto winning close matches down the stretch to make a return trip to the playoffs.

 

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From an article written by Julian Hast for Argus Media dated December 5, 2023, efforts by midstream giant Energy Transfer to block a natural gas pipeline out of the Haynesville shale could threaten the region’s production growth, the pipeline company and others argue in court filings, as well as the coming US LNG export boom.

In April a Louisiana district court judge ruled that Energy Transfer was within its rights to block DT Midstream from building a gas line that crossed Energy Transfer’s own Tiger pipeline in northern Louisiana. Two other midstream companies with plans for gas lines that cross the east-west oriented Tiger gas line, industry groups and the state attorney general have since weighed in on the side of DT Midstream, warning that the precedent set by the April ruling could effectively block other gas line projects if it is not overturned.

“The public policy implications of this decision will have far-reaching consequences for Louisiana’s energy sector and, indeed, perhaps for the nation’s energy independence,” Louisiana attorney general Jeff Landry said in a court filing.

Energy Transfer declined comment on the case.

The case hinges on the validity and meaning of the phrase “exclusive servitude” used in a contract Energy Transfer signed with the now-defunct timber company, Red River Louisiana, from which it purchased the right to construct and maintain the gas pipeline in 2010. Energy Transfer says that the “exclusive servitude” clause means no other entity can build a new gas line across the path of the Tiger line without its consent. Given the number of pipelines in energy-producing states like Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma, it is common for pipelines to cross each other.

State district court judge Nicholas Gasperagreed with Energy Transfer’s interpretation of “exclusive” and said abiding by the contract would not lead to “any absurd consequences.” He granted Energy Transfer a preliminary injunction to stop DT Midstream from tunneling its line under the Tiger pipeline.

Since then, other parties have weighed in on DT Energy’s side. Midstream giant Williams, which plans the $1bn, 1.8 Bcf/d (51mn m³/d) Louisiana Energy Gateway gas gathering line that would cross the Tiger pipeline, filed an amicus brief, as did Momentum, which is planning a $1.6bn, 1.7 Bcf/d New Generation Gas Gathering (NG3) project also likely to cross Tiger.

Energy Transfer is trying to “create and control a bottleneck,” which, if successful, “other existing pipeline owners could repeat … throughout Louisiana and across the country, which could stymie any new construction of pipelines,” Momentum said in its filing.

If Momentum and its allies are correct, the ruling could hamper the gas production growth needed in the Haynesville in the coming years to keep up with a massive build-out of new LNG export capacity along the US Gulf coast.

The district court signaled it had considered these possibilities, writing that it “does understand the possible effect of this ruling and does not like the potential consequence.”

Public policy aside, Landry argued the court improperly “provid[ed] primacy” to an “unenforceable” contract over “existing [state] law,” which “contains no provision creating an ‘exclusive’ servitude in the manner asserted in this case.”

Following that logic, the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association (LOGA) argued Energy Transfer’s “exclusive” servitude “occupies exclusively the subterranean space it actually occupies,” not “the entirety of the land, to the exclusion of others.”

Louisiana State University energy law professor Keith Hall predicted a court would consider LOGA’s interpretation as “baloney,” as it effectively erases the presence of the word “exclusive.”

Hall was also skeptical of the parties’ claims that the ruling would prevent future gas line crossings, since few pipeline servitude contracts contain the word “exclusive.” Even in this case, the ruling would not ultimately block competing lines since companies could obtain the right to do so by eminent domain, just as they would with a holdout landowner, Hall said.

DT Midstream has appealed the district court ruling to the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in Shreveport. It is awaiting a date for a hearing before the court.

Source: https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/2516028-energy-transfer-pipeline-fight-could-hurt-haynesville

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I was in Lowes last week. The Christmas decorations were gone. They were replaced by the tub
section. In a move of marketing genius or customer surveys, Lowes is selling plastic storage bins. These
bins were stacked and prominently displayed. Lowes must know something; the storage bins are all over
the store! Lowes calls them totes. I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to tote them around. I’m
going to load them and pack them away.

That happens to Christmas too. We turn our homes into festive, color-coordinated gathering
places for family and friends. We upend our schedules, violate our eating plans, confuse the animals that
live with us, and plug too many things into the wall outlets. We do this celebrating the One born in a
dark manger stall. Yes, I do it too! Eventually, Christmas is loaded into boxes or totes and packed away.
New Years Day is always packing Christmas away day. All of it is in boxes or the famous Lowes
totes. It all fit nicely in the attic of the she-shed. There is an annual ritual when I’m stacking the totes in
their place. There is one tote that is marked, “NO.” It is filled with Christmas decorations. These
decorations are no longer put out. I have inquired about giving the contents to the children, donating
them to Rolling Hills, or filing them in the cylindrical cans that are emptied once a week. The answer is
always the same, “No, you can’t get rid of the NO box.” Do you suppose I would be blamed if that box
vanished in the middle of the year? The NO box is at least a decade old. I think I have stored that stuff
long enough. What about you? Are you storing stuff that you need to let go of? But, I digress.
It all goes back in the box. If you are playing Monopoly and win, or the Game of Life and finish, it
all goes back in the box. You could even extend that to yourself. You will end up in some kind of box.
Everything you acquire, it all goes back! Live your life not for things, but for people. The love and joy you
give and share lives after you. The love and joy you share are the jewels in that crown in eternity. Pour
your life into others, not into the things that will go back in boxes.

The Christmas packing process was efficient this year. It all fit in the boxes and totes. All of the
totes fit back in their place. The tree fit in the box and the box was closed.

There is one item that is purposely left out. It is a small manger. It is in my office on a bookshelf.
The empty manger reminds me of the empty tomb and the risen and reigning Christ. As the year
unfolds, I will need that reminder often.

Did you leave something out to remind you of His daily presence in your life?

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The new 2024-2025 FAFSA will have a streamlined application and an easier path to grant eligibility. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) launched Dec. 31, 2023. 

Here are a few changes:

1. The application is shortened from 108 to 36 questions, so less time to complete the application.

2. Tax information will be transferred directly from the IRS. In past years, the Data Retrieval Tool was optional. It is now MANDATORY. The application requires tax information from the prior-prior year. The 2022 tax year will be required for the 24-25 application.

3. Families with an adjusted gross income of $60,000 and owns farms or small businesses with fewer than 100 employees will have to include their farms or businesses as part of their financial assets.

4. Anyone who provides information for the FAFSA is considered a “contributor.” All contributors must provide consent to process the application. For example, if the student’s parents are married, BOTH parents must provide consent to providing information on the FAFSA. Otherwise, the application will not be processed.

5. Parents will be sent an invitation link via email to complete their portion of the application. The application no longer allows student and parent(s) to complete the application together. Please ensure that the email address linked to the FSA ID is up to date. If the parent(s) fail to complete their portion of the FAFSA within 30 days, the student must start a new application.

6. The Student Aid Index (SAI) will replace Expected Family Contribution (EFC) to determine a student’s ability to pay for college and the amount of financial aid they can receive. The SAI, like the EFC, is used to calculate need-based financial aid. Your need will be calculated by subtracting the Student Aid Index from the school’s cost of attendance.

The makeover is meant to correct the assumption that the EFC calculation equals the amount your family can contribute, as the name suggests. Most families pay more than the EFC amount after taking loans to fill aid gaps. In reality, the EFC (soon to be SAI) is an index number used by college financial aid offices to determine your need for aid. The information you include on the FAFSA determines your SAI.

7. The need-based Pell Grant gives students free college aid that doesn’t need to be repaid. With the new FAFSA formula, 610,000 additional students from low-income backgrounds will be eligible for Pell Grants who wouldn’t have been under the previous form. Additionally, 1.5 million students will be newly eligible for the maximum Pell award: $7,395 per year.

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