Matt Vines

STONEWALL — North DeSoto football coach Dennis Dunn called reports that Opelousas High will have to forfeit its 2023 Division II Non-Select state championship “unfortunate.”

The Louisiana High School Athletics Association penalized the Tigers for multiple offenses, according to a report by sports website By-U Sports and confirmed by other state media outlets.

Opelousas, which beat North DeSoto in the semifinals, topped Cecilia in the state championship game.

“If this is true, it is unfortunate for our kids, the Cecilia kids and the eligible players at Opelousas,” Dunn said. “All of us would like to see championships determined on the field legally.”

The LHSAA doesn’t publicly announce penalties anymore, but reports indicate that Opelousas will have to forfeit all of its wins this season along with its state title.

A Facebook comment made by Jacobian Ardoin, whose profile says he’s the Opelousas strength and conditioning coach, indicated that Cecilia turned Opelousas into the LHSAA over a freshman player that didn’t play. Ardoin’s comment went on to say that the Cecilia report was untrue.

Opelousas was celebrating its first-ever football state championship.

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Northwestern State University hosted over 2,600 high school students, faculty sponsors, and
families from 38 schools throughout the region for the Northwest Louisiana Literary Rally,
Saturday, February 24. The Louisiana High School Rally, an academic competition held throughout the state since 1909, with the regional competition being held at NSU since the 1960’s, is an academic competition in which high school students compete by taking exams in a variety of subjects taught in high school. The Northwest Louisiana Rally held at NSU featured 51 different tests ranging from Agriscience to Calculus. Desoto Parish was ably represented by teams from Mansfield and North Desoto High Schools. Students who earn qualifying scores on their test or performance will advance to compete at the state literary rally at LSU in Baton Rouge in March. NSU’s Art and Science departments also held demonstrations and a drone flying contest.

Hard-working teachers raising our young people’s sights and encouraging academic excellence are part and parcel of our school’s mission. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for the hours of hard work, dedication, and belief in your students’ abilities. Lastly, the Desoto Parish Journal wishes all the best to the students who will go on to represent Desoto Parish at the state rally in Baton Rouge. Well done!

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A benefit event is planned for Jason Burson who was recently diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma and is currently undergoing treatment in Arkansas! To help with the financial burden a Fish Fry is planned for March 1, 2024 at the Stonewall Sheriff’s Substation.

To Pre-Order plates send money and Number of plates to

Venmo – @Brandy-Pearce-2
PayPal – @Brandypearce77
(friends and family)
Cash/Check made payable to:
Benefit Fund for Jason and Lisa Burson

Donations may also be dropped off at any Community Bank location

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When the news broke more than a month ago that Sports Illustrated was laying off most of its workforce, that the end of the publication was apparently on hand, I re-lived the moment someone told me in the late 1990s that my childhood favorite Red Skelton had passed away.

Thought he’d died like 20 years before.

In the late-January days after the SI punchout, eulogies followed that were heartfelt and expected. They all brought back memories of getting SI in the mail on Wednesdays or Thursdays, back when I had pimples. 

Joy. Rapture. Day and weekend made. 

But I buried Sports Illustrated 25 years ago. Was grateful for it, mourned it, and let it go. Was semi-surprised to find out last month it was still alive.

It’s like what our SportsTalk friend John James Marshall said about Fair Grounds Field, once the siren song of summertime around here. More than a year ago, after the most recent attempt to clean it up, lots of people started telling it goodbye. JJ, who spent more time at SPAR Stadium and Fair Grounds Field than probably any of us, had made his peace with the death of the place years ago. What you see now from Interstate 20 is just concrete and bat poop and a feral cat palace and a solid illustration of political foot dragging. It ain’t Fair Grounds Field; that was a beautiful place that died a long time.

So was Sports Illustrated.

And it’s nobody’s fault. Not really. It’s one of those time things. 

Once it got its footing after its founding in 1954 until the late 1980s, SI was one of the great financial successes in the world of publishing. Its covers were iconic in the culture. It billed itself as the authority — and it was. Sports Illustrated was the Cleveland Browns of the 1940s, the Yankees of the ’50s and the Celtics of the ’60s.

It happened because the most influential guy in publishing then, Time Inc. founder Henry Luce, believe in it, even though he wasn’t a big sports fan. He hired a European sophisticate named Andre Laguerre to be the managing editor. And besides the best photographers, Laguerre hired the three or four best writers in each sport, gave them an expense account, and told them to let ’er rip, tater chip.

“Oh, I thought he should’ve been president,” Dan Jenkins, the magazine’s most influential writer ever, said of Laguerre. The whole thing was a perfect place-time-people deal as Jenkins and a pile of other semi-irreverent writers pumped in fastball after fastball.

But money changed the dynamic between players-coaches and writers. Suddenly it was more opportune for a millionaire forward from the Bucks to spend time with Willow Bay instead of with a writer.

Cable TV happened. Then the internet.

And long before that, the tone of the magazine began changing. Jenkins moved on to Playboy and Golf Digest because the new editors thought they knew more about college football and professional golf than he did. SI became more political, and while a fan of 15 can argue with his 75-year-old grandfather about whether Carlton or Spahn was the best lefthander, they can’t have a fair fight about all the hot-button issues the magazine began weighing in on.

Too much work and not enough play. Sports and Some Non-Sports Cultural Stuff Illustrated. (Boooooo…)

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As an outdoor writer/broadcaster, there are several things on my work schedule. For instance, every week I write an outdoor column appearing in seven newspapers around north Louisiana. In addition, I produce and record four weekly radio programs. When opportunities are presented, I write an occasional article for magazines.

One thing that as been a regular assignment for the past 10 years or so is to contact, interview and write articles for Louisiana Sportsman magazine and web site about trophy bucks taken in Louisiana. I enjoy everything I do for outdoors media but especially rewarding is getting to do articles on these big bucks that come to my attention either by my being contacted by successful hunters or by browsing social media to find photos hunters post when they are successful in downing a trophy.

Granted, I don’t get them all as some hunters prefer to keep their success under wraps as they have no interest in sharing details preferring to keep details and locations secret. I totally accept that. If I had a secret honey hole where I find my trophies, I might be reluctant to share too many details. Even so, I average getting to write articles on at least twenty-five big bucks each season. The ones I do write about give me an idea of what type of bucks on average are taken each season.

From my contacts for the season just ended, my conclusion is that the number and quality of bucks this year was average or maybe slightly below average. Drought conditions this past summer affecting browse plants no doubt contributed to this season’s somewhat lower results.

In past years, my articles have covered an occasional buck weighing in excess of 300 pounds and a few have resulted in impressive scores of 270 inches or better. I did articles on 30 trophy bucks this past season with buck with the heaviest body weighing just over 230 pounds. The highest scoring buck I located measured 190 inches of antler mass.

Looking over the statistics of bucks taken last season covered in articles I wrote were impressive, but not quite as eye-catching as some in seasons past.

The highest number of bucks I found were taken in Union Parish with five while Beauregard Parish produced four, indicating that you are likely to find a trophy really from one end of the state to the other. Bucks were taken in twenty-two parishes from north to central to the delta region to southwest Louisiana.
How about antler measurements? The thirty bucks in my articles averaged just over 156 inches of mass while the average number of antler points were 10.26. How about body weights? This came out to 192.6 pounds per buck.

During the month of October, nine bucks were reported, November had the highest number with 15 while December produces six.

Four bucks were taken by traditional archery equipment, two with crossbows and the majority, 24, fell to high powered rifles.

A number of trophies were taken by happenstance. They just showed up. Many of the more successful hunters, however, work all year to prepare food plots, keep minerals available, especially during spring and summer when new antlers and muscle mass are growing.

I’m already looking forward to deer season 2024-25 when we get to do it all over again. Maybe this will be the season with weather conditions improved and I’ll get a call from you or find your photo of your buck on social media. Be assured, if this happens, I’ll be in touch.

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Matt Vines

North DeSoto High fishermen Nicholas Hunt and Colton Moore won the high school tournament on Caddo Lake this past weekend.

The pair bagged 16.2 pounds of bass with five fish, including an 8.82 whopper that registered as the second-biggest bass of the tournament.

“(Nicholas’) dad said, ‘Hey, I got a spot,’” Moore said in a KTBS interview. “Ok, let’s go to it. It worked out for us today.”

The duo earned 200 points in the North Louisiana High School Fishing League in the second event of the season.

The event consisted of 87 boats, 70 of which registered qualifying fish.

As a team, North DeSoto finished a few pounds out of the lead as Captain Shreve won the tournament.

Other North DeSoto pairs that finished in the Top 20 included Grayson Rayford and Tripp Rogers (18th, 8.02) and Conner Roberts and Brian McMillian (19th, 7.64).

The next event is March 16 on Caney Lake.

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By Doug De Graffenried

Truth has always been true, right?

Let us ponder colors for infants. A truth regarding infants is that pink is the color for girls and blue is the color for boys. That has been true since WWII.

In the 19^th century, boys and girls were primarily clothed in white dresses. The color designation for children began appearing in the later part of 19^th century. The colors were opposite of what they are today.

In the early part of the 20^th century boys wore pink and girls wore blue. Baby books, new baby announcements and cards, gift lists, and newspaper articles from the early 1900s indicate that pink was just as likely to be associated with boy babies as with girl babies. For example, the June 1918 issue of the Infant’s Department, a trade magazine for baby clothes manufacturers, said: “There has been a great diversity of opinion on this subject, but the generally accepted rule is pink for the boy and blue for the girl. The reason is that pink, being a more decided and stronger color, is more suitable for the boy; while blue, which is more delicate and daintier is prettier for the girl.” Blue is also the color most associated with the Virgin Mary, which helped cement the idea of blue for girls.

The reversal of this trend occurred in the late 1940’s. The catalyst for this reversal was drab army green which was a primary color of uniforms for the military. During WWII, women entered the work force in societal shifting numbers. During WWII, the ladies had a limited color pallet for their clothing options. It seemed to the baby clothing gurus that pink would be much more appropriate for girls now. Pink was viewed as a softer color and thus more appropriate for females. It would help soften the army’s green world created by the war effort. One must ask what happened to cause the color shift. In the early part of the century blue was dainty and pretty and by the mid-century pink became dainty and pretty.

Can truth be a moving target? What is true today might not be true tomorrow? Is truth changed by a study or by our assent to the results of the study? Take wine for instance. Is wine good for you or bad for you? It depends on which study you are reading. Each new study contradicts the previous study.

Here is a novel idea, why not trust your common sense? Humans thrived for thousands of years before the advent of “a scientific study.” Living joyously and freely is about using good common sense.

Living in a world in which the truth is stranger than it used to be is not easy, but there is hope. Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth will make you free.” The truth He described was not about a construct, but about a person. Do you follow the One who spoke and lived truth? His truth is the only source of freedom.

It is true!

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2/12/24

Allen, Roy G.
B M 67
Fugitive Warrant/Arrest
Logansport, LA

Cary, Gabrielle D.
B F 36
Warrant Desoto Parish
Many, LA

Woodley, Andre. J. Jr.
B M 27
Theft greater than $1000
Mansfield, LA

2/13/24

Simmonds, Rebekah L.
W F 27
Fugitive Warrant/ Arrest
Tenaha, Tx

Perry, Labrandon
B M 48
Second Degree Battery
Mansfield, LA

Deas, Jeremy D
W M 36
Second or Subsequent Offense
Obstruction of Justice
Possession of Marijuana
Warrant Desoto Parish
Mansfield, La

2/14/24

Welch, Braden Reed
W M 19
Reckless operation of a vehicle
Converse, LA

Abraham, Shaundrea L.
B F 25
Theft
Mansfield, LA

Stevens, Henry S.
W M 53
Warrant Desoto Parish
Logansport, LA

Ross, John Russell
W M 33
Fugitive Warrant/Arrest
No Insurance
Vehicle License Required
Mansfield, LA

2/15/24

Davison, Tyshaela Tashon
B F 24
Fugitive Warrant/ arrest
Alexandria, LA

Potier, Deonte Dewain
B M 26
Fugitive Warrant/arrest
Alexandria, LA

Braggs, Brandon L.
B M 29
Distribution or possession w/ intent to distribute CDS 1
Manufacture/distribution CDS 5
Ruston, LA

Fuller, Timothy
B M 57
Molestation of a juvenile
Grand Cane, LA

McIntyre, Johnathan
B M 34
Possession of CDs 2
Mansfield, LA

Jenkins, Erica N
B F 34
Failure to Appear
Pelican, LA

2/16/24

McCullough, Lamarcus Deshion
B M 47
Domestic Abuse Battery
Logansport, LA

Jones, Stan Jr.
B M 47
Theft
Mansfield, LA

Davis, Tony John
W M 58
Fugitive Warrant/Arrest
Keatchie, LA

Handy, Burtis Leroy
M 40
Fugitive Warrant/arrest
Mansfield, LA

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The Painted Daizies has released dates for Summer Kids Art Camp. Camps are available during July for children ages 5 and up. The camps will be held at the Logansport Community Center, 113 S. 3rd Street. Contact Kathy Davis at 318.471.5968 for information and to register. Must register by June 1. 

Krewe of Dionysos is having a St. Patrick’s Parade! March 16, 2024 at 6:00 pm. FREE TO ENTER! Entries can be submitted on our website, https://kreweofdionysos.com/join-us/ Please note revised route:
Parade stages at River South Commons parking lot (Bealls & Goodwill location); turns right on South Drive; and left on Keyser Avenue. Right on Williams Avenue and left across the Church Street bridge to 2nd Street. Left on 2nd Street to Touline Street which will officially end the parade.

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Natalie Brown Gates Burr
October 14, 1927 — February 20, 2024
Service: Friday, March 1, 2024 at 1:00pm at Rose Neath Funeral Homes – Mansfield

Rev. Robert “Steve” Casey
March 9, 1950 — February 26, 2024
Service: Saturday, March 2, 2024 at 10am at Rose Neath Funeral Homes – Shreveport Southside

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Matt Vines

LOGANSPORT – It’s somewhere Chris Thomas probably thought he’d never be again.

The long-time Mansfield High boys basketball coach has spent the past seven years in administration and not on a basketball sideline.

But when the Logansport boys basketball program needed him to pull double-duty, Thomas answered the call.

Now Logansport (8-9), the No. 22 seed in the Division IV Non-Select playoffs, made their way into the playoffs and will head to No. 11 South Plaquemines (13-16) on Friday at 6 p.m.

“We take it as a blessing – playing in the playoffs,” Thomas said. “We’re the only DeSoto Parish team to make it, so that’s an accomplishment in itself.

“With so many of our guys playing football, and typically making a deep playoff run in that sport, it can be difficult to transition into basketball.”

Thomas is no stranger to the basketball playoffs, making Mansfield a perennial playoff contender, which included a Top 28 appearance in 2012.

But Logansport doesn’t have quite that type of basketball tradition.

The Tigers are beginning to understand what Thomas is seeking, which makes them a dangerous squad.

“I think we started playing some of our better ball toward the end as the kids are buying into what we want to do,” Thomas said. “Our younger guys have stepped up with two of our three seniors not being able to play.

“The young guys have been playing really well, and we’re playing better as a team. Our basketball IQ has gotten a whole lot better.”

One example of the IQ coming into play is when they faced an athletically superior Northwood-Lena team.

Thomas switched to an inverted triangle-and-two defense, which is designed to prevent opponents from easily driving to the rim.

“We knew we couldn’t beat Northwood-Lena athletically, and they were content to hold the ball,” Thomas said. “We ended up winning that one 14-12.

“It’s things like knowing there isn’t a shot clock, so why force up a bad shot? They’ve helped me make adjustments as a coach to. You have to adjust to your personnel. Kids are understanding their roles, and I’ve been able to define roles for these kids and make substitutions knowing their strengths and weaknesses.”

The Tigers won two of three from Northwood-Lena this season.

The last win was part of a season-ending stretch in which Logansport won four of their last six games.

That’s without 6-foot-5 senior Nick Shoalmire, who was hurt in a mid-January contest against St. Mary’s.

“It’s been tough, but it’s fun,” Thomas said. “There’s enjoyment in seeing the improvement of this team.

“The young guys are growing from boys into men. It hasn’t been easy, trying to change some mindsets. It’s been a lot of work between being in the administration and now coaching, but I’m humbled and blessed to be able to do it. I’m thankful for it.”

The journey this season has been will reflect in the trip to get to first-round opponent South Plaquemines, located in Buras more than an hour southeast of New Orleans.

Thomas toyed with the idea of going down the night before the game, but he decided a young team could have just as many distractions handling an overnight trip as any advantage gained by potentially more rested.

“So we’ll leave around 7 a.m. and take our time getting down there,” Thomas said.

South Plaquemines won four of its last five to win the District 9-2A title.

But Logansport played well enough to avoid the major powers in the class, and he thinks his Tigers match up well.

Logansport has won at least one playoff game in five of the last six seasons, with the 2023 campaign being the only time the Tigers lost in the first round.

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Matt Vines

STONEWALL – The North DeSoto and Logansport softball teams are laying waste to their early-season opponents – no matter the classification or name on front of the jersey.

Both teams are undefeated as the second week of the season nears a close.

North DeSoto (6-0) smoked West Monroe 13-0 as pitcher Laney Johnson tossed a three-hit shutout on Tuesday.

The Lady Griffins have scored double digits in five of the six contests, topping Ruston, Benton, Buckeye, West Ouachita, Pineville and West Monroe so far.

For Logansport (5-0), go ahead and give them the District 1-5A title.

The Tigers have topped Airline, Byrd, Captain Shreve and Parkway so far this season – three of those wins coming by four runs or more.

The last two wins came over the Lady Gators (20-5) and the Lady Panthers (7-3).

Ainsley Moran belted two home runs in the win against Parkway while pitcher Avery Creech earned four of those wins in the circle.

Mansfield (1-1) has had its last two games postponed while Stanley (3-4) has dropped its last three.

 

BASEBALL

North DeSoto started its season on the right foot with a 2-1 win against Holy Savior Menard on the road Tuesday.

Porter Doyal supplied one of the RBIs.

The Griffins work early next week with Booker T. Washington on Monday and Logansport on Tuesday, both at home.

Logansport (1-1) split its opening two games with a 13-9 loss to Many and a 5-3 win against Chireno (Texas).

Stanley picked up a season-opening win with a 13-2 victory against Ebarb.

Mansfield opens the season Feb. 28 against Woodlawn.

 

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Matt Vines

AMITE CITY – A fourth Top 28 appearance wasn’t in the cards for the Mansfield girls basketball team and coach Kendra Neal-Jones.

The No. 10 seed Lady Wolverines dropped a 59-33 decision at No. 2 Amite on Thursday in the Division III Non-Select quarterfinals.

For a Mansfield team that’s successfully imposed its defensive will on the vast majority of opponents, Amite controlled both ends of the floor as the Lady Warriors advance to face No. 3 seed Doyle in the semifinals.

Mansfield finishes the season 21-9, including a 20-4 stretch to end the season after a 1-5 start.

The quarterfinals trip was the program’s second in three seasons, but Mansfield won’t be making a fourth Top 28 appearance in Neal-Jones’ tenure.

The stalwart coach led Mansfield to a 2019 state title and appeared in championship games in 2007 and 2015.

 

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Over the years of doing my radio show, Hook’N Up & Track’N Down, we’ve had some great outdoorsmen who have shared their expertise on both hunting and fishing. They have come from all sorts of backgrounds across this great country. With each guest we have always made a point to ask one specific question: “Who had the biggest influence in you becoming an avid angler or hunter?” Most have said either their dad or grandfather, but some have named other important people in their lives who are responsible for their passion of the great outdoors.

Today, we’ll step back in time and look at how and who is responsible for my passion of the outdoors. At the age of 8, I was first introduced to hunting by my best friend’s dad. Tracy Owsley, or “Uncle Tracy” as I referred to him, was an avid outdoorsman who took the time to take his son Kevin and I on our first squirrel hunt. It didn’t take long for each of us to inherit the nicknames “Lead Foot” and “Stumblebum.” Not sure who was which, but I’m sure we earned those nicknames based on our inability to navigate through the woods quietly.

First, he taught us the importance of gun safety. We learned what direction to point the gun when hunting with others, how to leave the gun on safety until time to shoot, how to properly load a gun, how to cross a fence with a gun and to never point your gun at another person no matter what. These are just a few of things he took the time to teach us.

Today’s young kids and teenagers are not as mature as my generation of the 1970s. By the age of 9, I hunted or fished by myself more times than I can count. I can’t imagine a 9-year-old kid heading into the woods with a shotgun or rifle today without supervision. Parents of my generation allowed their kids a lot more freedom than parents of today.

This freedom allowed us to grow up and develop life skills quicker than today’s kids. Growing up, my generation also had more common sense, a trait which has virtually vanished over the last 20 years. We understood a good idea from a bad one. Now that’s not to say we didn’t do stupid things, because we did. But we knew there was a fine line between dumb and crazy decisions that might not end well.

My fishing background was developed on what is known as farm ponds or tanks, as they are referred to in Texas. Our ranch had five fully stocked ponds that became the training ground for my obsession with bass fishing. My cousin and I spent many a day with walking from one farm pond to another all day long, catching largemouth bass. He was an avid angler who introduced me to Bassmaster Magazine. By the age of 10, I was a subscriber to this publication that was full of great tips and techniques on bass fishing. I became a student of the sport and today I still subscribe to this same magazine, along with the B.A.S.S. Times.

Make no mistake, to this day I still have a deep passion for the outdoors, but more on the fishing side since I decided to start fishing tournaments in 1990. I will still make an occasional trip to the woods, but I’m not as hard core on hunting like I used to be.

The problem today involves a time factor. There are just not enough hours in a day any longer to get things done. Today, we are too busy and no longer have the so-called “free time” when the world moved at a much slower pace back in the ‘70s. While I still enjoy an occasional hunting trip when time allows, tournament bass fishing tends to consume a lot of my time since I want to be competitive. And believe it or not, my wife occasionally has a honey-do list of household chores that need to be handled.

It’s always good to take a moment to look back at where we came from. This is how we grow both as people and as outdoorsmen. It’s the experiences of our youth and our training ground that help to shape us into the people we are today. Whether it was a dad, uncle, grandparent or a friend, someone took the time to introduce us to the hunting and fishing world. Without these mentors, we would just be lost souls wondering throughout the world looking for something to do.

‘Til next time, good luck, good fishing and make sure to check out Tackle Talk Live podcast, as well as the Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show on YouTube.

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com 

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The DeSoto Parish Cattlemen’s Association held their 1st quarter meeting at the DeSoto Parish Extension Office on February 13, 2024.

Mr. Henry Richardson welcomed the crowd and gave an update on current fertilizer prices. He also stressed the importance of practicing farm safety.

Mr. Joshua Salley gave a brief update on upcoming Parish and regional cattle related events.

Local State Fair of Louisiana Hay Contest winners were recognized and awarded a banner for their accomplishments. Congratulations to the following NW Regional winners: Mitch Marsalis, Lamar Holmes, and Loyd Dodson/Kennon Gaspard.

Mr. Brandon Dubois, Louisiana Cattlemen’s Association President, gave an update on national and state beef cattle programs.

The main speaker of the evening was Mr. Jeff Cole, CPA. Mr. Cole talked to the group about farm taxes and ways to save money on taxes.

A great meal was prepared by Mrs. Jessica Salley. Thanks also to Mrs. Erin Stockton and Mrs. Jan Richardson on helping to serve the meal.

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Volodymyr Palahniuk was born to Ukrainian parents in rural Pennsylvania. In his youth, he worked alongside his father in Pennsylvania coal mines. In the late 1930s, Volodymyr became a professional boxer under the alias Jack Brazzo because no one could pronounce, much less remember, Volodymyr Palahniuk. Volodymyr won his first 15 bouts, 12 of which were knockouts, before he lost by a close decision to future heavyweight boxer Joe Baksi. Punches by his opponents usually left Volodymyr’s face bruised, swollen, and bloody. “Then, I thought, you must be nuts to get your head beat in for $200.” (Adjusted for inflation, $200 in the late 1930s would be about $4,400 in today’s money.) Thus ended Volodymyr’s professional boxing career.

There was a more important reason for Volodymyr’s career change. In 1942, the world was in the midst of World War II. Volodymyr wanted to do his part for his country and volunteered for the U.S. Army Air Corps. In the following year, 1943, Volodymyr was among a group of airmen on a mission in a B-24 Liberator bomber. During the flight, something went horribly wrong. The full details of the crash have never been released, but one of his outboard engines purportedly failed during an air battle. The engine failure was just one in a series of unfortunate events which led to a fiery airplane crash. Volodymyr sustained severe facial and head injuries and burns. Newspapers reported that Volodymyr’s injuries were so severe that he required facial reconstruction. For his service, Volodymyr was awarded the Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. After months in the hospital, Volodymyr was discharged from the military. Later in life, Volodymyr spoke vaguely about the crash. He mentioned the story about his airplane crash and repeated the rumor that his “face had to be put back together by way of plastic surgery. If it is a ‘bionic face,’” he quipped, “why didn’t they do a better job of it?” He also said of his airplane crash, “There are some moments you never get over. That was one of them.”

Following World War II, Volodymyr began studying journalism then drama at Stanford University under the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, more commonly called the G.I. Bill. Charles E. Miller, Volodymyr’s college roommate, remembered the wannabe actor “pacing back and forth past the fourth-floor windows as he rehearsed his lines for a play.” Volodymyr had a “face seemingly carved out of granite and a voice filled with equal parts gravel and menace.” In 1947, Volodymyr returned to the east coast and, due to his “distinctive looks and resonant voice,” got a part in The Big Two. In the following year, he acted in the Broadway production A Streetcar Named Desire, and eventually replaced Marlon Brando in the part of Stanley Kowalski. In 1950, he made his film debut in Panic in the Streets. Two years later, he was nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of a villainous husband in Sudden Fear. Volodymyr’s menacing face and gravelly voice kept him working as film villains for the rest of his life. Four decades after his film debut, Volodymyr finally won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work as a villainous cowboy Curly Washburn in the Western Comedy City Slickers. As Volodymyr, then 73 years old, walked onstage to accept the Oscar, he suddenly dropped to the floor and performed several one-armed pushups. The audience roared with cheers and laughter.

As far as the story of his facial reconstruction following his airplane crash during World War II, Volodymyr would probably repeat the line he used to end every episode of the television show he hosted in the mid-1980s, “Believe it….or Not.” You and I know Volodymyr Palahniuk as Jack Palance.

Sources:

1. Brian Eule, “Requiem for a Heavy: Jack Palance was more than a good bad guy.” Standford Magazine, January/February 2007, accessed February 18, 2024, https://stanfordmag.org/contents/requiem-for-a-heavy#:~:text=He%20served%20as%20a%20bomber,journalism%2C%20but%20switched%20to%20drama.

2. “Jack Palance.” http://www.tcm.com. Accessed February 18, 2024. https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/146687%7C76031/Jack-Palance#biography.‌

3. “Jack Palance – Biography.” IMDb. Accessed February 18, 2024. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001588/bio/.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FEB. 21, 2024

Ruston, LA –

Louisiana Tech University’s Division of Nursing has announced the addition of the Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN). The program is designed to address the evolving needs of the healthcare industry while offering an expedited pathway for current and former students with associate degrees or professional certifications in nursing.

The RN to BSN is structured to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of advanced nursing concepts and practices through a flexible and accessible online and hybrid model that meets the needs of working nurses. The blend of rigorous coursework and hands-on experiences allows students to develop critical thinking skills, leadership abilities, and evidence-based practices necessary for success in today’s healthcare landscape.

“This program is answering the call from our students and our employers as we continue to prepare registered nurses to address the vast range of opportunities in health care,” said Associate Dean Dr. Donna Hood. “This program builds on over 50 years of excellence in nursing education in a supportive and innovative environment. Our graduates have the foundation they need to work as a valuable member of the healthcare team and continue their education at the graduate level.”

The program also aims to uplift the state and region amidst a significant nursing shortage, as the supply of nurses from qualified programs has not met the increased demand of recent years. The Louisiana Board of Regents has estimated a 40% shortage of the nursing workforce by 2030, with thousands of open nursing positions across the state accumulating annually. Educational environments that place an emphasis on readiness and resilience are crucial.

Louisiana Tech’s associate degree program in nursing provides the perfect launch pad for students looking to pursue a BSN, with a history of exceptionally high NCLEX-RN pass rates and the graduation of prepared students who are intensely recruited upon program completion.

“The RN to BSN program will continue to build upon the outstanding nursing education offered at Louisiana Tech,” said Dr. Melissa Madden, RN to BSN program chair. “This program is important not only to our currently enrolled students but to the stakeholders who have been asking for it for many years.”

To learn more about the RN to BSN program at Louisiana Tech, visit online.latech.edu/programs/nursing-bsn/

The Louisiana Tech Division of Nursing is committed to excellence in educating students of diverse educational and cultural backgrounds and preparing them to enter an ever-changing healthcare environment as competent nursing practitioners. This educational environment fosters clinical reasoning, is responsive to community needs, is cognizant of regional and national trends in health care delivery, and recognizes its responsibility for research and scholarly activity and service.

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Clara Springs Camp will host Fourth Friday Fish Fry today (Feb 23) from 5-7pm. Westside Baptist Church will host. Dinner is $15 and includes all you can eat fried fish, coleslaw, french fries, hushpuppies, pinto beans, lemon bread pudding, homemade ice cream and drinks. Kids 9 and under eat FREE. Only $10 for kids ages 10-17. 

B.A.S.S. on the Bend Festival Concerts will be held on February 24 & 25 during the Bassmasters Elite Series Tournament at Cypress Bend Park. Saturday lineup includes Derrick McLendon from 12-1pm followed by Wayne Toups from 1:30-2:30pm. Then Sunday Spencer Brunson (11:30am-2:30pm) and Joey Greer (12:30-2:30pm). All events are free. 

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Linda Litton Cowling
August 22, 1945 — February 20, 2024
Service: Friday, February 23 at 1pm at Rose Neath Funeral Homes – Mansfield

Dorothy Lewis
September 12, 1939 — February 16, 2024
Service: Saturday, February 24 at 11am at Union Vine Baptist Church – Logansport

Natalie Burr
October 14, 1927 — February 20, 2024
Service: Friday, March 1 at 1pm at Rose Neath Funeral Homes – Mansfield

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Matt Vines

MANSFIELD – Defense and toughness travels.

The Mansfield girls basketball team controlled its second-round contest Monday at No. 7 Pine, cruising to a 46-35 win.

Mansfield (21-8), the No. 10 seed in the Division III Non-Select bracket, will hit the road again in the quarterfinals Thursday for a showdown at No. 2 Amite. Tip is 6 p.m. in the Tangipahoa Parish town located on the outskirts of Hammond.

In its first two playoff games, Mansfield has allowed an average of 26 points thanks to a first-round, 53-18 domination of No. 23 seed Berwick.

Mansfield is making its second quarterfinals appearance in three seasons, serving as recent playoff success for Coach Kendra Neal-Jones, who won a 2019 title and advanced to the Top 28 in 2014 and 2015 with the Lady Wolverines.

The Lady Wolverines have gone 20-3 in the last 23 contests after an 1-5 start.

A smothering defense continues to be the foundation, but Mansfield will see an Amite squad who walloped No. 18 Marksville, 73-26, in the second round.

Amite (28-5), co-champions of District 7-3A with state power Albany, has topped the 70-point mark six different times this season. Pine is also in that district, with Amite winning two games by 11 and 24 points, respectively.

Mansfield is the only lower seed to win a second-round game in D3 Non-Select bracket and is the only double-digit seed remaining.

 

Logansport girls’ season ends at No. 1 Arcadia

Logansport’s trend of knocking off state powers didn’t come to fruition Monday as No. 1 seed Arcadia ended the No. 17 seed Lady Tigers’ season in a 74-35 loss.

Logansport, who landed a 65-59 road win at No. 16 Kentwood in the first round, couldn’t repeat its 2021 quarterfinals appearance.

The Lady Tigers had handed LaSalle one of its two regular-season losses along with upsetting Class 4A North DeSoto this season.

Logansport ends its season with an 11-13 record, logging a playoff win for the first time since 2021.

 

Logansport boys only DeSoto team in the field

The Logansport boys basketball team is the only local squad in the postseason as the Division IV Non-Select members drew the No. 22 seed.

Logansport (8-9) heads to No. 11 seed South Plaquemines (13-16) for a first-round matchup.

South Plaquemines is located more than an hour southeast of New Orleans, nestled between the Mississippi River and the waters that turn into the Gulf of Mexico.

The six-hour drive poses difficulties in its own right, but Logansport has won four of its last six games to land in the playoffs.

“We take it as a blessing to be playing in the playoffs because we are the only boys team in DeSoto Parish doing this,” said Chris Thomas, a longtime Mansfield coach who added basketball coaching duties on top of his administrative duties this season. “That’s an accomplishment in itself when you are playing with so many football guys.

“This season has been tough, but it’s been fun. Our young guys have improved a lot, but more importantly, these kids are starting to mature off the court.”

South Plaquemines also surged late to lock up a home game, winning four of its last five to claim the District 9-2A title.

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Today’s news is often dreary and sad. Murders, drugs busts; conflicts abroad; you name it it’s all there on the six o’clock news. It’s enough to send us all scurrying behind barred windows and locked doors. The kicker, though, is a growing level of anxiety the general public feels about our own well-being.

Psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists are seeing their business boom during the times in which we live. While these folks can often help, I have another idea I learned by watching an old man one day. Just for the sake of doing it, go fishing.

Once when my family and I were on vacation on a lake in Arkansas, we rented a cabin by a lake. Rising early one morning while the family slept, I poured a cup of coffee and stepped out of the cabin to sit on the dock and enjoy the peace of the morning.

Spying an old white-haired gentleman fishing from the dock, I moved closer. As I approached, he snapped the rod upward and momentarily, a bluegill was flouncing on the dock. He admired the fish a few seconds, unhooked it and gently slid it back into the water.

He picked up a slice of bread, pinched off piece, molded it around his hook and continued his fishing. What the old fellow was engaged in was a healthy form of therapy. He was fishing for the sheer enjoyment of the sport.

Observing this, I was reminded of a scripture passage in John 21:3 that begins,”Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a-fishing”. Wycliff’s Bible Commentary offers regarding Peter’s announcement, “The sight of his boat and the waters of his beloved Galilee, and perhaps the necessity of keeping body and soul together, dictated his sudden announcement.”

The statement – “keeping body and soul together” smacks of therapy to me. Granted, we need more activities that serve to keep our inner selves intact during these times.

While there are more ways than fishing to soothe jangled nerves and provide salve for anxiety, fishing has been scientifically proven to be one of the most effective ways of relieving stress.

Studies have shown that one of the most effective deterrents to stress and stress-related illnesses is fishing. In an article I once read, the writer stated that it is necessary to find a safety valve enabling us from time to time to lay aside the pressures of our hemmed-in lives.

“My answer is”, wrote the author, “go fishing.”

There is a scientific reason why fishing relieves stress, he continued. He wrote of his study of the psychology of daydreams and fantasies and the ways in which one’s imagination can be put to practical use. He noted how often people who are learning to relax mentally picture scenes of nature and peaceful lakeside or oceanside settings. The calming effects of being near water were evident again and again in his clinical and experimental studies.

Scientists have fitted subjects with electro-physiological instruments to measure changes in muscle tension on the forehead. They have learned that when subjects imagine situations involving pressure or fear, the frontalis muscles tighten. As soon as they shift to imagining scenes on a quiet lake as the warm sun emerges from the clouds, the needle on the dial drops sharply as tension is reduced.

I never finished that cup of coffee. It grew cold on the dock as I hurried back to the cabin, fetched my fishing rod and slice of bread and pulled up a chair next to the old guy.

For the next hour, I got me some real good therapy.

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Matt Vines

Eight Mansfield High powerlifters and two from North DeSoto High punched their tickets to their respective state championships via their performance at regional competitions Saturday.

Athletes who finish in the top 10 in their weight class in their school’s division from across the state qualify for the LHSAA Powerlifting State Championship meet.

That meet will be held March 20-23 at the Cajundome on the campus of UL Lafayette.

Mansfield’s seven lifters going to the Division IV state championship spanned the weight class spectrum from 114 pounds to 275 pounds.

Terrance Pegues lifted 1,400 pounds total (500 squat, 320 bench press, 580 dead lift) in the 275-pound class.

Three other Mansfield lifters qualified above 200 pounds. Darrien Wells (1,085 total: 415-245-425) and Deanthony Chambers (1,080 total: 425-220-435) competed in the 242-pound class.

William Phoenix (1,130 total: 420-255-455) lifted in the 220-pound class.

Mansfield’s Derrick Mitchell (940 total: 330-195-415 in the 165-pound class) and Jaden Ross (955 total: 320-220-415 in the 148-pound class) both neared the 1,000-pound mark.

Mansfield’s Lavel Claudio (610 total: 185-145-280 in the 123-pound class) and Omar Thomas (290 total: 100-70-120 in the 114-pound class) represented the lighter classes.

Stepping up into Division II presented tougher competition as North DeSoto placed two lifters into the state championship meet.

North DeSoto’s Blake Chambers (1,050 total: 395-220-430) competed in the 148-pound class.

Teammate Jacob Haley will be the only freshman in the Division II 132-pound class as he lifted 820 pounds (280-165-375).

Several other Griffin competitors just missed the cut to go to state.

Kendol Jones hoisted 1,045 pounds (345-250-450) to miss the cut in the 181-pound class by less than 50 pounds.

Micheal Loupe was just 35 pounds off the mark in the 220-pound class as he totaled 1,150 pounds (465-255-430).

Joshua Woodard finished three spots out of the state competition at 275 pounds, lifting 955 at the regionals (335-235-385).

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“Eight dollars and five cents!”

I said it loudly and with all the patience I could muster without using unforgivable four-letter words. A commentary on the American educational system was playing out right in front of me.

They both looked at me like I was speaking in tongues.

I repeated myself, “Eight dollars and five cents! You owe the man eight dollars and five cents in change.” I was thinking that this was not brain surgery or rocket science.

I was shopping at a grocery store, which shall remain anonymous. The nice lady at the register was exasperated. She was telling everyone who would listen that she needed a break. It was time for her break. She was late for her break. “Someone needs to come relieve me, so I can take a break.” Meanwhile the nice man in front of me made a purchase. He bought several packages of bottled water. His total came to eleven dollars and ninety-five cents. He did something rarely seen in grocery stores across America. He paid cash.

He gave her a twenty-dollar bill.

She tapped in the amount tendered and the machine gave her the answer for how much change he would receive. But before she gave him the money. She tapped in another set of numbers so that she could go on her break. Her “taking a break” numbers erased the man’s change numbers.

A nice manager walked over and said, “Why don’t you go on your break.”

She said, “I will as soon as I give this man his change.” Then she looked at the register which she had now “erased.” She looked down at the twenty like it was a creature that was going to bite off her arm. She started fumbling for a piece of paper to do mathematical computations. While she was fumbling for the paper and pencil. The manager was pulling out her phone and trying to get her calculator program up and running.

The customer was distracted. He was talking to a guy two checkout lanes over. He couldn’t see the mathematical mayhem brewing at the checkout line.

“Eight dollars and five cents. That is what you owe the man in change.”

“Oh.”

About that time calculator girl finished punching in her numbers and said, “You owe him eight dollars and five cents in change.”

I had done the math in my head two separate ways. I had done the math. I also “counted the change” back to the nice man in my head. My brain is slow. I do not have a high-powered processor up there. But counting change, c’mon man! The year I went to work at Sears they introduced electronic cash registers. They trained us on those marvels, which would do a transaction and “tell” the clerk how much to give in change. Our store manager insisted that all the employees needed to be able to “count back” the change to the customers. He was especially insistent that all his High School part-timers learn the “right way” to make change.

These two didn’t know how to “make change.”

I was struck at that moment by the awesome responsibility that rests upon the shoulders of teachers.
Even those of us who teach scripture know, “Not many of you should become teachers… for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” James 3: 1

 

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DeSoto Parish Sheriff Deputies, LSP Troop E & G, and Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Deputies were involved in a vehicle and foot pursuit that entered DeSoto Parish in the late evening hours Wednesday, Feb 14 and lasted through the early morning hours on Thursday, Feb 15.

The pursuit, which began with LSP Troop E and Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Deputies entered the south end of DeSoto Parish on Interstate 49 just after 8:30pm. DeSoto Sheriff’s Deputies were able to respond and deploy spike strips in the Northbound lane near the Asseff Exit that stopped a 2017 Nissan Altima and led to the immediate arrest of one passenger, Tyshaela Tashon Davison, a 24yo black female of Alexandria, LA. Mrs. Davison was found to have multiple active warrants out of Rapides Parish at the time of her arrest.

The male driver of the vehicle fled the scene on foot near the I49 Asseff Exit into a wooded area. DeSoto Deputies immediately deployed an Aerial Drone with heatseeking capabilities, K9 Rex (and both handlers Cpl. Pearah and Dy. McCoy) to search the wooded area for the subject. In the early morning hours on Thursday, the driver Deonte Dewain Potier, a 26yo black male of Alexandria, LA was located and taken into custody by DeSoto deputies.

Both Davison and Potier were booked into the DeSoto Parish Detention Center. Davison, a wanted fugitive from another parish, has since been transported back to Rapides Parish where she awaits charges. Potier has been transported to Natchitoches Parish where he awaits charges related to the incident.

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