How long have you waited to hear the great news that “The veggies are ready!” Farmer Jason Anderson has opened Anderson’s Produce for the 2024 season with an abundance of fresh, delicious fruits and vegetables. So “Come and get ‘em!”

Anderson’s Produce has an abundance of fresh squash, onions, snap beans, and potatoes grown in the rich fertile soil of south Red River Parish. And there are more coming in every day.

And Farmer Anderson said, “This year we have an abundant crop of ripe, juicy peaches. There have been a few slim years, but this year’s crop is the best I’ve seen in years.” You know you want them, so come and get peaches picked today at the peak of freshness.

Now open for the 2024 season, Anderson’s Produce on Highway 174, just off I-49 and La 1. Click on https://andersonsproduceandplantfarm.com or phone 318-932-1432 or come by the farm. The freshest fruits and vegetables are ready for you at Anderson’s Produce.

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Many people are unsure of what to do with their future when they graduate from high school. That was not the case with Sarah Ophelia Colley. As a youngster growing up in Centerville, Tennessee, she decided she would become a dramatic actress. She taught herself how to mimic those around her, but that was about as far as it got in high school. She knew she needed formal training. Once she graduated from Centerville High School, Sarah auditioned to join the theater department of Ward-Belmont College, which is now Belmont University. She was well spoken with a southern drawl which she struggled to mask. Despite her southern drawl, Sarah was accepted into the program. She majored in theater studies and dance.

For the first few years after graduating from Ward-Belmont, Sarah taught dance. Sarah realized that unless she changed course, she could never realize her dream of performing on the stage. In the late 1930s, Sarah began working as a play director for the Wayne P. Sewell Production Company, a touring theater company based out of Atlanta, Georgia. She performed her parts perfectly, but Sarah was forgotten almost as soon as she walked off stage. In 1947, Sarah married Henry Cannon. Despite her best efforts, few people knew Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon as an actress. In the 1980s, after being successfully treated for breast cancer, Sarah became an outspoken advocate for cancer research. In 1987, she helped create the Sarah Cannon cancer foundation to raise money for cancer research. This led to the creation of the Sarah Cannon Research Institute which specializes in cancer treatment. On March 4, 1996, 83-year-old Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon died from complications from a stroke.

As I said earlier, few people recognize Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon as an actress, but there is more to Sarah’s story. While working for the Wayne P. Sewell Production Company, Sarah made brief appearances at civic organizations. While directing a ten-day musical comedy in Baileyton, Alabama, Sarah met a woman that changed the course of her life. Sarah needed a place to stay for the ten days, so she boarded with the Baileyton woman and her husband. Something stood out about the Baileyton woman. Sarah watched as the woman spoke. She paid careful attention to her mannerisms, her attire, and her accent which was very similar to her own. Remember, Sarah had struggled for years to hide her southern drawl. When it was time for Sarah to move on to another town, the Baileyton woman said, “I hate to see you go. You’re just like one of us.”

Shortly thereafter, Sarah bought a dress and shoes similar to those worn by the Baileyton woman. Rather than hiding her southern drawl, she began to embrace it for comedic affect, but something was missing. In 1939, Sarah was set to perform her imitation of the Baileyton woman in Aiken, South Carolina. Before the show, Sarah went to Surasky Bros. Department store in downtown Aiken. While shopping for nothing in particular, Sarah put on a straw hat and did her best imitation of the Baileyton woman. The hat completed the character. Sarah bought the hat for $1.98 and headed to the theater.

As an imitation of the Baileyton woman, Sarah poked fun at rural Southern culture. Rather than target other people, her jokes were aimed at herself, her fictional family, and her fictional hometown of Grinder’s Switch. She was always trying and failing to gain the attention of “a feller.” She told fictional joke-laden stories about her Uncle Nabob and Aunt Ambrosia, Lucifer Huckelhead, Miss Lizzie Tinkum, Doc Payne (pun intended), and her brother who remained nameless. In character, she once quipped about her Uncle Nabob, “He ain’t a failure. He just started at the bottom, and he liked it there.”

Sarah’s imitation of the Baileyton woman was a hit, and it led to her becoming the first solo female member of the Grand Ole Opry. In 1975, she became the first female comedian inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. She performed the character on the stage and screen for over fifty years. Still, no one knew Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon, and she never seemed to mind that she was overshadowed by the character she had created by imitating the Baileyton woman. Her family, friends, and even her husband called her, not Sarah, but Minnie Pearl. Her greeting to the audience became famous. “How-DEEEEE! I’m just s’proud to be hyere!”

Sources:

1. “Minnie Pearl,” Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, https://www.countrymusichalloffame.org/hall-of-fame/minnie-pearl.

2. “MINNIE PEARL Interview Entertainment Tonight October 26 1985,” YouTube, https://youtu.be/h_8ZEjU1Qd0?si=MD5safekJKzx8UbZ.

3. ‌“Minnie Pearl: Grand Ole Opry Comedian and Hee Haw,” YouTube, https://youtu.be/7d1TRxVRzU4?si=3nT9IwNr0kwC5waN

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Let Teachers Teach recommendations center on reducing excessive trainings and paperwork, restoring the art of teaching, and removing classroom distractions

(BATON ROUGE, LA) – Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley’s Let Teachers Teach workgroup released recommendations viewed as critical to supporting classroom teachers. Composed of over two dozen educators from across Louisiana, the Let Teachers Teach workgroup was tasked with identifying common classroom disruptions and unnecessary bureaucracies, as well as formulating practical solutions to help educators focus on the most important aspect of their job — teaching students. Governor Jeff Landry joined Dr. Brumley and Louisiana Teacher of the Year Kylie Altier today to officially release the 18 recommendations.

“My primary goal in creating this workgroup was to improve the professional experience of classroom teachers,” said Dr. Brumley. “I feel confident these recommendations will support teachers while maintaining a focus on the students they serve.”

“I will not sit back and allow teachers to struggle with these challenges,” said Dr. Brumley. “Whether it’s burdensome training or disruptive student behavior, we must ‘have the back’ of teachers so they are empowered to succeed every single day.”

The recommendations cover professional learning, required training, student behavior and discipline, non-academic responsibilities, curriculum and instruction, and planning. Some recommendations must be addressed at the school or school system level, while others require state action.

“We have seen the results of an education system that holds back our educators and does not give them the freedom to teach in their classrooms. This system has failed both our teachers, our children, and our parents,” said Governor Jeff Landry. “I am thankful to the teachers who participated in our Let Teachers Teach workgroup. The recommendations they have provided will serve as a prototype for ways we can improve our education system, and make it one where teachers, parents, and students are proud of their schools and able to succeed.”

The workgroup is the product of feedback the LDOE has received through formal channels such as the Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Council as well as informal channels such as classroom visits and faculty meetings hosted by Dr. Brumley.

“It’s been an honor to collaborate with passionate educators from across the state as we developed a set of recommendations centered on giving teachers more time to focus on students,” said Altier, who chaired the workgroup. “I hope these recommendations show teachers they are important, they are the experts in their classroom, and they are being heard.”

Each section of the recommendations includes multiple action steps. These include:

Professional Learning

• Tailor professional growth plans.
• Make collaboration meetings worthwhile.
• Ensure ample time for classroom preparation.

Required Trainings

• Shift legislatively-mandated trainings to a cycle.
• Enact pre-test exemptions from required trainings.

Student Behavior and Discipline

• Decouple student behavior and the school accountability system.
• Trust us — don’t blame us.
• Place ungovernable students at alternative sites for behavior support.
• Address challenges of chronic absenteeism.
• Limit cell phone use.

Non-Academic Responsibilities

• Support student mental health challenges through trained professionals.
• Stop forcing teachers to be mental health professionals.
• Pay teachers for additional, non-academic work.

Curriculum and Instruction

• Eliminate the mandate to read verbatim from teaching manuals, excluding direct instruction.
• Create a repository of high-quality, easy-to-access teacher resources.
• Provide scheduling, pacing, and implementation guidance for core content areas.

Planning

• Effective teachers should have professional autonomy in their classrooms.
• Abolish antiquated lesson planning requirements.

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The recent fatal shooting of a 12-year-old male in Shreveport has brought this issue back to light. The facts are still developing, but the allegation is that the individual was trying to break into a parked car in Southern Hills when the owner of the vehicle fired a weapon.

In Louisiana, the use of force to repel an attacker is essentially covered in two statutes:

The first is entitled “Use of Force or Violence in Defense”:

(1) The use of force or violence on another person is justifiable under either of the following circumstances:

(i) when committed for the purpose of preventing an attack against the person or … property in a person’s possession, and the force used is reasonable and apparently necessary to prevent the attack. Or, (ii) when the force is used by a person who is inside their home, place of business or motor vehicle and the person reasonably believes that the use of force is necessary.

That’s pretty straightforward.

If I am attacked personally, or property in my possession is being taken from me, I may use force to repel the attacker. This includes if I am sitting in my home, business, or car. However, the law is clear that in either circumstance, the use of force or violence must be based on my “reasonable” belief that I must do so to protect myself.

This law applies if there is no homicide. If there is a homicide we turn to a different statute, entitled ‘Justifiable homicide” which states that:

“A homicide is justifiable:

1) when committed in self-defense by one who reasonably believes that he is in imminent danger of losing his life or receiving great bodily harm and the killing is necessary to save himself. Or, (2), when committed against a person who is attempting to make or has made an illegal entry into the dwelling, place of business, or motor vehicle, and the person committing the homicide reasonably believes that the use of deadly force is necessary to repel the attacker.”

Summarized, justifiable homicide essentially means first, that I am justified in killing another individual while defending myself if I am in imminent danger of either losing my life or suffering great bodily harm; And, two, if an attacker has either made, or is trying to make an illegal entry into my home, business or car, I may use deadly force if I reasonably believe it is necessary to save my life or prevent grave injury to myself.

Those are strong provisions. However, there is more. Both of these statutes contain two other very important provisions.

The first is that when an innocent party acts with the reasonable belief that they are in imminent danger to their life or body, the law provides that there “shall be a presumption” they were legally justified in using deadly force. Legal presumptions are very important in the law and often can decide a case one way or the other. Second, both of these statutes also ensure that an innocent party who is where they legally have a right to be—whether home, business, or car—has “no duty to retreat” before using deadly force.

The guarantees contained in these two statutes are the reason Louisiana is considered to have one of the strongest Stand Your Ground laws in the country.

I close with a request for judgment and prudence.

If a DA brings charges based upon the use of deadly force there will be a jury of 12 people who will ultimately decide whether an individual who shot and killed another individual did so in a way that was objectively reasonable, and whether the danger was truly “imminent.”

This means that when those jurors deliberate and discuss the case to reach a verdict, they will likely ask a question along these lines: “If I were in the shoes of the person who shot and killed this individual, including in my car, my home or my business, would I, myself, have felt so fearful, felt the danger to my life and health was so immediate that I had no other option but to kill the individual?”

The critical factors are the reasonableness of my believing that my very life could end, or I could suffer great bodily harm—immediately. If so, not only does the innocent party not have to retreat from the attacker but they have the benefit of a legal presumption that they acted correctly.

Royal Alexander

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Not many people reach legendary status.

But there’s one man who lives just across the Louisiana/Texas line that falls into the category of a legend.

He’s a guy who for years has conducted the greatest bass tournaments in the world. He’s become so big that National Geographic came to East Texas and did a one-hour special on his amateur bass tournament trail. His name: Bob Sealy! He is the owner and creator of the Bob Sealy Big Bass Splash Series.

Back in the 1980’s, Bob had this great idea to conduct a big bass tournament on Lake Sam Rayburn as part of an initiative to bring tourism to the lake area. Little did he know that 40 years later it would explode nationwide, and now globally, as anglers all over the country and the world come and compete in one of his many big bass tournaments held all across the South.

Bob was also the guy who sat down with Ray Scott, the founder of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.), and convinced him to bring a professional bass tournament to Sam Rayburn. This brought national exposure to the area as Sam Rayburn became one of the legendary lakes in America with its reputation for producing huge bass and 30-pound tournament winning stringers.

Why so much success over a bass tournament? What has been the reason so many people have come and continue to make their way to all Bob Sealy events? It’s all due to a simple formula Bob figured out a long time ago. He realized most anglers will never have the opportunity to make the kind of money professional bass fishing offers. That’s when he came up with the slogan, “Where amateurs win like the pros!” As they say, the rest is history!

Another reason for the Sealy success is the fact that Bob does what he says he will do. Early on when he started these big bass tournaments, he took a few financial losses mainly due to the promises he had made. There were times when he did not have enough entries to cover the amount he was giving away. Bob still wrote checks and borrowed money from the bank in order to make sure everyone got paid.

Another example of why Bob has had so much success is his willingness to give. There’s one aspect of all Sealy tournaments where he offers $5,000 each day for any angler that weighs an exact 3.00, 4.00, or 5.00-pound bass. Even if no one weighs in an exact size bass, he will put all the entries from the tournament into a hopper and will draw a random name to give away three $5,000 checks. Most tournaments would just pocket this money and move on. Not Bob Sealy. He wants anglers to walk away with money in their pocket!

These are just a few reasons why Bob Sealy has so many participants follow his tournament trail. Bob does what he says he will do, no matter what the cost. This is the key to any successful bass fishing circuit. Anglers only want two things: enforce the rules and make sure the payout is exactly what each event says it will be.

We salute Bob Sealy on his commitment and dedication to making this tournament trail so successful. Sealy events are for all weekend warriors who love to fish. It’s also about family by offering something for all ages with plenty of food, entertainment and kids fishing division. As a member of the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame and the Outdoors Hall of Fame, Bob continues to set the bar for all bass tournaments.

This article would not be complete without recognizing and thanking the entire Sealy Outdoors staff and volunteers who coordinate and make all Sealy events possible. Without these folks, the Bob Sealy Big Bass Splash would not be possible.

To learn more about the Sealy Big Bass Splash Series of tournaments go to sealyoutdoors.com.

‘Til next time, good luck, good fishing and when in doubt — set the hook.

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

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HEADQUARTERS NEWS RELEASE
May 23, 2024

Baton Rouge – Louisiana State Police has been made aware of a defect in Motor Vehicle Inspection (MVI) stickers issued for the year 2026. Upon initial adhesion to a vehicle windshield, the “26” sticker has a yellow background. Due to sun exposure, the sticker may potentially fade from yellow to clear or white.

Individuals who have received 2026 MVI stickers from January 1, 2024, until the present date may experience fading. It is important to note that despite the fading, these MVI stickers will remain valid. No action is required by the vehicle owner. The Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) is aware of this issue, and is working to replace the current unissued inventory.

Contact Information:
Lt. Jared L. Sandifer
Louisiana State Police
Public Affairs Section
Office: (225) 925-6202
jared.sandifer@la.gov

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Opportunity available:  Account Executive

Areas include: Natchitoches, Sabine, DeSoto and Red River Parishes.

Qualifications:  Self-motivated, willing to learn, reliable transportation.  Training provided.

Income: Based on 25% sales commissions plus mileage.  Paid Weekly!

If you want to work your own schedule, set your own hours, build a lifetime income and Fridays off, then this is the opportunity for you!

Send resume to:  P. O. Box 2611, Natchitoches, LA 71457

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DPSB staff celebrated with a retirement lunch for Richard Wilkinson who retired as Purchasing Agent after 30+ years of service to the DeSoto Parish School System. Mr. Wilkinson was tasked to keep DPSB in compliance with the many requirements that go along with governmental purchasing. There is not a DPSB facility in use today that Richard didn’t have a part in the plan to build and equip. Happy Retirement!

The Mansfield State Historic Site will celebrate National Trails Day Saturday, June 1. There will be guided tours of the site including a portion that is not normally open to the public. Tours will begin every two-hours beginning at 9am.

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Leroy Jones
December 9, 1951 – May 20, 2024
Service: Saturday, May 25, 2024at 1pm at New Hope Baptist Church – Mansfield

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Whether or not they continue it later in life, kids – virtually all kids – want to have the
opportunity to catch a fish. They may lose interest soon after the initial experience, but the desire to watch a bobber go under and feel the tug on the line is inborn in youngsters.

Daughter, Melissa, is now a grown-up, married with three daughters.
However, she still mentions her fun as a little tyke; her grandparents helped her
bait a hook and fish for bream at their lakeside home on D’Arbonne. Today, if given the
opportunity, Melissa still likes to feel the pulsating fight of a fish on her line.

In the past, I had the opportunity to go fishing with my grandchildren. Watching Kayla’s four struggling with a bream or bass on the line has been enjoyable. Watching their
eyes as they fought a fish, there was no doubt they were having a genuine good time.
I remember taking Cathy’s two girls on a fishing trip to Lincoln Parish Park Lake. It
It is debatable who had the most fun: the girls or me.

It all started when plans were made for the girls, their brother, Billy, and their parents to drive
up for a visit with us. Cathy had already told me what the girls wanted to do once they got here.
Top on the list was for “papaw to take them fishing.”
On the second day of their visit, my son-in-law, Bill, and I drove into the Lincoln Parish Park
with the kids. Billy’s interest was more in swimming so while Bill watched over Billy at the
swimming hole in the lake, I took then seven year old Callie and five year old Catelyn with me
where we set up shop on one of the piers at the lake. Glancing into the water next to the pier,
there was no doubt that I’d soon be busy baiting hooks and taking off fish; the shallows teemed
with small bluegills looking for a hand-out.

2

They caught fish. In fact, they caught them so fast I scarcely had time to skewer a worm
on a hook for one granddaughter before the other yelled, “Papaw; I got another one!” After an
hour of furious activity, the girls were ready to join Billy at the swimming hole. I let them each
keep six to take home and show their mom. Then they insisted I clean the fish to add to the fish
fry I had planned for the family that evening.
There was something especially gratifying as I watched them watching me clean their
catch. There were questions…
”Papaw, what is that yucky stuff?”

“Fish guts.”

“Papaw, they sure have a lot of bones. Will they hurt me?”

“No, I’ll pick ‘em out for you.”

“Papaw, what do little fish taste like?”

“Just like big fish, only better.”

I fried up their catch first and after they’d cooled, I offered both girls the first bite
traditionally taken on a fried bream; the tail. They were reluctant at first until I demonstrated
how to nip the tail with one bite. “Like eating a potato chip”, I told them. They tried it, and liked
it, wanting more.
Next, I showed the girls how to “unzip” a bream by taking out the fins and pulling the
two halves apart. Then I separated the tiny lump of meat from the bones, watched them dip the
bites in ketchup and take a bite.

“M-m-m-m…that’s good, Papaw.” The fact that they were eating fish they’d caught
themselves seemed to bring the experience full circle for the two girls.

The experience left me fulfilled and content that I had helped my two granddaughters
engage in a wholesome activity, and I did it in such a way that they wanted more.
They had fun both at the fishing hole, but as we drove away, I knew that the next time
they come for a visit, one of the first things they’re going to say to me is, “Papaw, can we go
fishing?”

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Opportunities available: Associate Sales Manager – Home Service Independent Home Service Sales Agent, Full or Part-Time

Areas include: Natchitoches, Sabine, DeSoto, Red River, Bienville and Winn Parishes.

Qualifications: Life insurance license a plus but not required. Help with licensing provided to right persons. Training provided.

Income: Based on sales commissions and service pay. Associate Manager provided a base pay plus commissions.

If you want to work your own schedule, set your own hours, and build a lifetime income then this is the opportunity for you!

For more information contact:
Greg Sargee at 318-471-9084 or email greg.sargee@klic.com.
Websites: klic.com; securitynationallife.com

EOE

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By TONY TAGLAVORE, Journal Services

 “Well, I’ve been known to write a few songs
Lovin’ and leavin’ and getting’ too stoned
Bottle and a pistol by my side
The devil’s always along for the ride”

 Last Saturday, he opened for country music star Jason Aldean.

June 20^th, he will take the stage ahead of Morgan Wallen – the first of a few dates with one of country music’s biggest names.

Not bad for a guy from Logansport, who twice attempted to kill himself.

“I try not to even stop and think about (my success),” Bryan Martin told the Shreveport-Bossier Journal, a few hours before performing in Oklahoma on Aldean’s Highway Desperado tour. “I’m afraid I’m going to wake up and go, ‘Oh, shi_. I just stumped my toe trying to get in the camper one night and this has all been a dream.’  It’s been amazing. It’s been crazy.”

Martin, who was born in Shreveport and grew up in DeSoto Parish, has Billboard Country’s 16^th ranked song with We Ride, from his album Poets and Old Souls. Other charts have the hit song ranked even higher.”

“It just blows me away to be sitting in the Top 10 on country radio and thinking about where all I’ve been and what all I’ve been through. Never in a million years would I have thought I would even be sitting here talking to you about it. It’s just crazy.”

The fact that the 36-year-old, who bounced between schools in Logansport and Stanley before dropping out, is “even sitting here” is something of a miracle. Martin went to work on an oil rig for almost a year before enlisting in the Army. Confusion about whether he should have been accepted led to an uncharacterized discharge, which led to Martin trying to kill himself. He wrote We Ride based off a suicide written when he was 19 years old.

“I felt like a failure. I’ve never quit a job – never been sent home from a job. When I came back home, that’s when I took (30) Percocet’s, and I misfired a .357 Magnum . . . . I remember waking up the next morning and not feeling the effects of the drugs or the alcohol. That blew my mind . . . . I put that bullet back in the gun and took out all the other bullets. I pretty much cussed God and asked, ‘Why are you saving me now? It’s too late to save me.’”

But as many a preacher will tell you it wasn’t too late. Martin was saved. He went into the ministry and was sober for six years. But later, Martin went through a divorce. Then came Covid, which kept him from working.

“Same thing like the military. I just felt like a failure sitting at the house. I couldn’t draw a check. I was going crazy. I couldn’t make the music make sense. I couldn’t make money. I was pulled apart. I went back to drinking again.”

That led to another suicide attempt just three years ago – two days before his divorce was became final. Martin drove off an embankment.

“I went through a really bad brain injury and lost most of my memory. I couldn’t remember any of my songs (he had written close to 800) . . . . I had to pretty much re-teach myself how to play my own songs.”

In the process, Martin proved his doctors wrong.

“They told me I wasn’t ever going to be able to write again because of that brain injury. When I went to writing again (Martin credits medicine for ADHD), I couldn’t stop. The last three years, I’ve done what they told me I couldn’t do in the next 15 (years). The last six months, I’ve done what they said I couldn’t do in the next 10 (years).”

Martin was discovered while performing with some of his Tic Tok friends, who put together a music and comedy tour. But Martin’s current success came fast.

“A year and a half ago, I was on a barstool playing for $400 a night.”

Needing to be close to Nashville, Tennessee, Martin now lives in a town south of the country music capital. His schedule doesn’t allow him to return to Logansport often, where his mother (Donna) and father (David) still live. Martin has been back home four or five times in the last two-and-a-half years.

“When you catch a little breeze, you’ve got to ride with it. It’s a dream come true. Right now, it’s been able to afford me to retire my dad. I’m a long way from retiring, but to retire my dad is something I’ve always dreamed of doing.”

During his younger days, Martin was a frequent visitor to Bossier City.

“I would always spend my money at the arcade at the (Louisiana) Boardwalk. I went to the movies, and anywhere else I could get into. I got into the Rockin’ Rodeo (nightclub) one night. I sang Tracy Lawrence’s Sticks and Stones. That was my first time singing in front of people, at karaoke at the Rockin’ Rodeo.”

Right now, Martin is living the dream, a long way from singing karaoke. But if Martin ends up being a one-hit-wonder, that will be just fine with him. Martin has his songwriting talents to fall back on.

“If people are living life and going through struggles, somebody out there will relate to what I’m going to write next, or what I have coming out next. As long as real life is happening, I think I’ve got a pretty good chance at (staying successful), now that I’ve broke through and gained a few ears.”

But Martin’s professional life isn’t the only thing that’s better than ever.

“I’ve been dating my ex-wife (Bobbie Jo) for three years. It’s been going good. It’s the best it’s ever going to be. We get along good. If we don’t, it’s like, well, we’ll get over it. This time, you ain’t taking everything when you leave.”

Hmmm . . . . Sounds like the makings of a good Brian Martin-writte song.

Contact Tony at SBJTonyT@gmail.com.

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Baton Rouge – LSP is preparing for the department’s second accelerated training program designed specifically for Louisiana POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training) certified applicants. We are excited to announce that Cadet Class 105 will be a 14-week intensive academy tailored for current POST-certified men and women. The accelerated academy will equip law enforcement officers with the necessary skills and knowledge to become Louisiana State Troopers.

This extraordinary opportunity offers police officers across the state a chance to join the ranks of Louisiana’s Finest. Accepted cadets will receive advanced State Police training that goes beyond POST requirements in firearm proficiency, tactical driving, defensive tactics, de-escalation techniques, advanced crash investigation, lawful use of force, implicit bias recognition, and LSP Core Values.  

Although the training program is accelerated in terms of timeframe, it does not compromise the rich tradition and intensity synonymous with the LSP academy. LSP is committed to providing the highest standard of training to all LSP cadets. 

If you are a POST-certified applicant, you are encouraged to embrace this exceptional opportunity and fully comprehend the commitment and dedication required to succeed in the academy. Qualified applicants must have two years of experience as a Level 1 POST-certified officer in a full-time position whose job duties regularly include armed duty with the power of arrest in an enforcement capacity (jailer/correctional officer experience does not qualify).

Cadet Class 105 is expected to commence in October 2024, with an application deadline of July 24, 2024.  Applications can be downloaded at http://laspc.dps.louisiana.gov and submitted electronically to the Louisiana State Police Commission. Applicants not eligible for Cadet Class 105 will remain in the hiring process, preparing for future LSP cadet classes. Please see below for the Cadet Class 105 eligibility requirements:

•  Applicants for Cadet Class 105 must possess a Louisiana Level 1 POST certification at the time they submit their application. 
• Additionally, they must also satisfy one of these four paths:
   Path 1 – Two (2) years of experience as a POST-certified peace officer in a full-time position, whose job duties include armed duty with the power of arrest.  The LSP Commission has granted an exception for the two years to be calculated to September 16, 2024 (the date of cadet selections).  In other words, applicants who do not currently have two years of experience, but will by September 16, 2024, are eligible to apply for Cadet Class 105.
  Path 2 – A minimum of sixty (60) semester hours from an accredited college or university.
  Path 3 – A two (2) year combination of Path 1 and 2 above, whereby thirty (30) semester hours will be equivalent to one (1) year of experience.
  Path 4 – Three (3) years of continuous active duty in the United States Military.

Visit https://www.lsp.org/recruitment for more information on the hiring process, qualifications, physical fitness standards, and frequently asked questions. For additional questions and information, please contact LSP Recruiters at LSPRecruiting@LA.gov.

For those applicants not meeting LSP minimum qualifications at this time, immediate positions are available within the Louisiana Department of Public Safety Police through the Louisiana State Civil Service System. Visit https://www.lsp.org/about/leadershipsections/support/dps-police/ and http://www.civilservice.louisiana.gov for more information.

Contact Information:
Trooper First Class William Huggins
Louisiana State Police
Public Affairs Section
william.huggins@la.gov                         
Office: (985) 893-6250

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 Do you remember your childhood? For some it is a distant memory, for others it was not so long
ago. We all had one. The role of primacy was important in the childhood experience. In many cases
being or going first brought honor and privilege.

In homes with multiple children a first spot in the bath rotation was important. Adolescent
shower time became fierce competition since hot water and your place in line shared a proportional
relationship. In many areas, we want to be number one. First, in our class brings recognition and
scholarships. First in line for the big sale gives us confidence we will depart with our purchase and not a
rain-check. First in line at the check-out rewards us by removing the energy for angst and frustration to
grow as we wait on others, always slower than us, to check out.

Primacy also shares a relationship with light and experience. When the sun was shining or the
lights were on, there was little problem in leading the way. If the moon was out and the room was dark,
there was often a call for volunteers. “You go first!” “No, you go first!” Experience could alleviate anxiety
caused by the darkness. If you knew through experience that monsters had never been behind that door
before, you were less likely to fear opening it. Experience has brought you through this place before.

There were other times as a child when primacy was the result of a challenge. In most places
those challenges were known as a dare. The dare could be strengthened by adding “double dog” or
“triple dog” to it. A good way to deflect a dare was the power of “if you will, I will.” There is something
comforting about having company share in the stupid activity resulting from a dare. This rule is used by
parents when warning about following friends jumping off of bridges. If your friend would not
participate in the activity called for by the dare, you could claim exemption too.

There were advantages to being the pioneer. If you are the oldest child you never heard
academic or athletic comparisons being made about you and your older sibling. You had none! The first
born helped parents develop their skills and discover that children are basically parent proof. The first
born pioneered the way for younger siblings to experience parental relaxation of the rules regarding
bedtimes, friends, activities, and curfews. In many cases the first child exhausted the parents. That
explains the hundreds of pictures of the first born and the scant photographic record of subsequent
siblings.

The one disadvantage of going first is that you have no frame of reference. You have no
benchmarks or landmarks for the activity. Those moments when we are launching into new territory can
be filled with doubt and fear. Following the leader isn’t fun if you are the leader. You can always find the
leader; they are the ones with the arrows in their back. In business, raising a family, or living a good life
there are occasions when are off the grid and out of the box. If only we had done this before. If only
someone had gone before us. We might be able to follow a known pattern.

One New Testament writer points to Jesus as the “pioneer of our faith.” No matter what you are
facing, Jesus says, “been there, done that.” Jesus overcame every obstacle during His life. He even threw
the Devil’s dares right back at him. Jesus gave us a pattern for living a good and joyous life. We forget
that He had a good life. He savored each minute of His earthly journey.

Jesus walked with the assurance of God’s presence and love. He overcame everything thrown at
Him. Even death couldn’t hold Him. He scouted out the path called human life. He walked it. Jesus went
first! We can follow Him confidently. He is standing out ahead of us urging us on in our living.

 

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Department expects implementation of final rule on August 1

Baton Rouge, La. (May 20, 2024) — The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) is taking a key step to increase the availability of mental health providers in the state with a plan to expand Medicaid reimbursement eligibility to provisionally licensed mental health professionals (PLMHPs) while they are seeking full licensure.

Currently in Louisiana, PLMHPs can practice and provide mental health therapeutic services under the supervision of a fully licensed mental health professional (LMHP); however, these providers cannot receive Medicaid reimbursement. This policy change will allow PLMPHPs who provide these critical services to obtain reimbursement from the Medicaid program as they are working toward full licensure. Under the state’s current framework, only LMHPs — which include licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs), licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs) and licensed professional counselors (LPCs) — are eligible for reimbursement for these services.

Louisiana, like the rest of the U.S., is facing critical behavioral health workforce challenges, while the need for services is as great as ever. Nationally, one in three people live in areas lacking mental health providers. In Louisiana, the Health Resources and Services Administration estimates only 26% of mental health needs are being met. At the same time, the number of adults reporting symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder has steadily increased over the last five years, with 32.5% of Louisiana adults reporting symptoms in 2021.

One in five Louisiana adults live with mental illness, and Louisiana ranks 35th among all states for its suicide rate. Expanding access to services by increasing the number of providers eligible for Medicaid reimbursement is a critical part of LDH’s priority to address these complex behavioral health challenges. The Department estimates that over 4,000 providers in Louisiana would be newly eligible for reimbursement under this policy change as early as August 1. This includes as many as 1,796 provisionally licensed professional counselors, 137 provisionally licensed marriage and family therapists, and 2,564 licensed master social workers.

“This change is an exciting development for the thousands of Louisianans who have struggled to find providers to care for them,” said LDH Secretary Dr. Ralph Abraham. “A workforce shortage is one of the biggest challenges we face here in Louisiana as we work to improve mental health outcomes. This change — led by our Medicaid and Office of Behavioral Health teams — is an important step in expanding the availability of providers and critical mental health services for Louisiana residents.”

LDH is developing the change in partnership with behavioral health leaders from across the state, including the CEOs of Volunteers of America, Voris Vigee, David Kneipp and Carolyn Hammond.

“As CEOs of Volunteers of America affiliates across Louisiana, including Volunteers of America Southeast Louisiana, Volunteers of America South Central Louisiana, and Volunteers of America North Louisiana, we commend LDH for its commitment to innovation in addressing the state’s behavioral health challenges,” the CEOs said in a joint statement. “This new policy change will result in increased access to essential care throughout Louisiana, where a shortage of licensed mental health professionals persists. We are grateful for LDH’s proactive efforts and look forward to continued collaboration in meeting the behavioral health needs of our communities.”

Colette Melancon, LCSW-BACS, the CEO of Covington-based Therapeutic Partners, said, “Real-life experience with supervision is the most powerful learning environment for clinicians to grow.”

“To develop a strong, clinically competent workforce, we need to allow LMSWs, PLPCs and PLMFTs to function fully in the traditional outpatient setting,” Melancon said. “Allowing these clinicians to bill CPT codes will increase access to care and strengthen our clinical workforce. Access to care and attracting and retaining competent clinicians is vital to better outcomes for our clients and this change is one step closer to achieving those goals.”

Before this policy is fully effective, rule changes and a state plan amendment (SPA) are required. The Notice of Intent of the proposed rule has been posted and can be accessed here. LDH expects publication of the final rule on July 20. If approved by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, implementation is expected to begin on August 1.

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Winning looks good and losing looks bad, no matter the uniform.
The sharpest unis in the world are lipstick on a pig if the gang wearing them can’t
play. (Happens more often than you’d think.)
They’ll never create a jersey that’ll make an “L” look like a “W.”
But if you look sharp (or even just think you do), you tend to play better. Which
brings us to Louisiana Tech’s Diamond Dogs, who’ve won the regular season
Conference USA championship and looked good doing it.
A bonus, baby.
The Dapper Dogs have a secret weapon here in the formidable duo of
trainer/director of baseball operations Dan Takata and associate pitching coach
Matt Miller, a former righthanded starter for Tech who punched out 97 opposing
batters in 2019 on his way to becoming all-conference and a Bulldog Man, (which
translates to Team Captain for Life, nice work if you can earn it).
Looking good, these two dudes.
In his transition from player to coach, Miller drew up a Columbia Blue uniform
that Adidas spun into reality in 2021. For a while, it was all the rage; the Dogs
couldn’t seem to lose in what they called their Sunday Blues. (There’s a new
version now, still sharper than a barber’s blade.)
Meanwhile, in the Uniform Lab, Matt and Dan were cooking up something even
more special. For everyone to “wear.”
Shortly after the tornado of April 2019 shuttered J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson
Park, Marucci Sports gifted the Team Without A Ballpark with good-looking T-
shirts the Dogs used as batting jerseys. On the front was “Ruston Strong” with an
outline of the City of Ruston.
The Dogs get a new set of jerseys every year or two, and our hardball fashionistas
started thinking …

What if the team incorporated Ruston into a jersey? After all, it was Ruston who
flocked to the new J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park in May of 2021 and took
part in what might be the Greatest Two Weeks Running in Tech Athletic History.
The Diamond Dogs played 16 straight home games — thank you, Baseball Gods
— hosted the conference tournament and the first Ruston Regional, and even
though the Dogs lost in the finals of both, The Love Shack turned into something
between Woodstock in Cleats and Field of Dreams for those glorious dozen days.
Meanwhile in major league baseball, a trend called “City Connect” had begun.
You’ll see big leaguers playing in jerseys with “Cincy” or “Philly” on the front.
The Cubs have a “Wrigleyville” jersey, the White Sox a “South Side” top, Detroit
some “Motor City” digs. Astros fans know their teams’ “Space City” jerseys.
And so …
Last year the jerseys debuted. Black with “Ruston” in script across the front, big
white numbers on the back, and both filled with the red, white and blue of the
country’s flag. Also on the back, the blue patch that’s the outline of the City of
Ruston. a perfect understated tribute and hat tip to a town that’s embraced a group
of guys easy to pull for.
While the jerseys were created more to remember the way the city and area and
University reacted as a team to the 2019 tornado, it has grown into more of a
tribute to a town from a grateful team, a way of saying “thank you” (as much as
one can through a cotton/wool/polyester blend).
City Connect.
Granted, they’ve worked better this year than last, when the Dogs struggled to
finish just below .500. (Long, loooong story.) But this year, with those City
Connect jerseys good and broken in, with more strikes being thrown and a longer
lineup and a chemistry that demands accountability, the Bulldogs are 41-15
overall, 18-6 in the league, and a hearty 26-5 in the welcoming Love Shack.
To paraphrase the late great entertainer/songwriter/musician/stud Glen Frey,
Louisiana Tech’s Diamond Dogs belong to the city. They’re a group of seniors led
by the last of the Tornado Team, left fielder and Bulldog Man Adarius Myers.
Then there’s The Law Firm of McConnell, McCloud & Corona, a trio that
remembers playing at Ruston High when the team had no park.

And now the just-right accessories, too many to mention. But they’re all wearing
the same thing, like their hearts on their sleeves, and that makes it awfully easy to
pull for the guys in the good-looking gear, the ones playing for each other, and for
the name on the front of the jerseys.
Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

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DeSoto Parish Schools are officially out for the summer. The 2024-2025 school year begins for students on Thursday, August 8. 

Fish fry Fundraiser: A Plate Lunch fundraiser will be held at 327 Washington Ave (old Market Basket parking lot)in Mansfield on May 24, 2024 for the Jones family. Kimbre Jones, wife of DeSoto investigator Russ Jones, has recently been diagnosed with a form of Lymphoma. All proceeds will go directly to the Jones family. For more information or to make a donation call (318) 872-3956 and ask to speak with Holly Kennedy-Jones or Sonya Sharrow. 

In remembrance and honor of those who served, all locations of the DeSoto Parish Library will be closed  Memorial Day, Monday, May 27.  

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Antonio Brooks
August 5, 1070 – May 15, 2024
Service: Saturday, May 25, 2024 at 12pm at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church – Kingston

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Sabine State Bank & Trust Company, a commercial bank headquartered in Many, LA with more than $1.2 billion in assets. The combined entity is expected to provide access to a broad variety of lending products to all communities served by TDECU and will expand TDECU’s presence in lending to small business owners in oil and gas, agriculture, and energy.

At closing, the combined institution will be expected to have approximately $6 billion in assets and 471,000 Members. The acquisition will expand the field of membership for TDECU, which has a significant presence in Greater Houston, and a growing presence in the Dallas, Fort Worth and Victoria areas.

“TDECU is on a growth journey to expand across the state of Texas and beyond,” said President & CEO Isaac Johnson. “Our mission is helping people navigate their financial journeys, and be financial solvers for our Members’ everyday needs. This acquisition extends our reach to more communities, diversifies our commercial portfolio, and makes our balance sheet even stronger. If our balance sheet is stronger that will enable TDECU to continue to deliver and do more for our existing Members. Together, we will strengthen ties with our membership, partners, and local communities”

A strong performing commercial bank

Founded more than 120 years ago, Sabine has a footprint of 51 branches across Louisiana and east Texas. It specializes in commercial loans with industry concentration in oil and gas, forestry, timber and agriculture, and has many long-standing depository relationships.

“We are excited to become a part of the TDECU family and we share their commitment to strengthening our communities and empowering our customers to build better financial futures,” said Lee H. McCann, President and CEO of Sabine. “Our customers can rest assured that they will continue to experience the best-in-class service they count on from us. Best of all, that service will be enhanced with an even wider array of financial products to help them better secure their futures.”

Strengthening the credit union movement

TDECU has a healthy balance sheet that is focused on consumer deposits and lower-risk investment strategies. Sabine’s strong commercial operations will further diversify the credit union’s loan concentration and support TDECU’s overall growth strategy, bolstering stability and resiliency to provide compelling service offerings to its Members during economic and market fluctuations. The transaction is anticipated to be completed early 2025, subject to receiving all required regulatory and shareholder approvals and satisfying all other closing conditions. TDECU members and Sabine customers should continue to conduct their business as usual until the closing.

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The DeSoto Parish Police Jury will hold their regular monthly meeting May 20, 2024 at 5pm at the Police Jury Meeting Room, 101 Franklin Street, in Mansfield.

 

AGENDA

A.    CALL TO ORDER
B.    INVOCATION
C.    PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
D.    PRESENTATION OF ACHIEVEMENTS AND SERVICE AWARDS
       A. North DeSoto Middle School State Champion
E.    ANNOUNCEMENTS
F.    CALL FOR ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA
G.    GUEST AND PUBLIC COMMENTS
       1. Todd Derrick – GOSHEP Region 7 Coordinator
H.    PRESIDENT’S REPORT
I.     COUNSEL’S REPORT
J.     ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
        2.
K.     LOBBYIST’S REPORT
        3.
L.    TREASURER’S FINANCIAL REPORT
        4. Accept the Financial Statements as of April 30, 2024 and Year to date Budget to actual report
M.    APPROVAL OF MINUTES
        5. Approve Minutes – April 15, 2024 Regular Meeting, May 6, 2024 Administrative, Budget and   
Finance, Buildings and Properties, Policy and Procedures, Road, Insurance, Zoning and Economic
Development and Special Meeting
N.    OLD BUSINESS
O.    NEW BUSINESS
P.    RESOLUTIONS
        6. Recommends authorizing the President to sign a Resolution accepting ownership of whatever rights the State of Louisiana, through the Department of Transportation and Development, may own, with the exception of any and all mineral rights, in and to the following described property and agrees to accept all future operation, maintenance, and repairs associated therewith, for its operation and maintenance as a parish road. (Park Road)
       7. Authorize the President to sign a resolution providing for canvassing the returns and declaring the results of the special election held in the Parish of DeSoto, State of Louisiana, on Saturday, April 27, 2024, to authorize the renewal of a special tax therein
Q.    ORDINANCES
R.    ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS
       8. Recommends adopting the 2024-2025 Operating Budget for the DeSoto Parish Sales and Use Tax Commission
       9. Recommends authorizing the President to sign a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with the Village of South Mansfield for reflective stop signs and a chlorine shack for the Sewage System (TS ARPA Funds)
     10. Recommends authorizing the President to sign the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
S.    BUDGET AND FINANCE ITEMS
      11. Recommends authorizing the purchase of property for the construction of a new compactor site in the Town of Stonewall on Pine Grove
      12. Recommends authorizing hiring the services of a dietician as required by Department of Corrections and amend the budget in the amount of $17,500
T.    BUILDINGS AND PROPERTIES & PARKS AND RECREATIONAL ITEMS
      13. Recommends amending the Jail Budget Capital for the upgrade of cameras at the Detention Center in the amount of $97,000 (State Contract)
      14. Recommends authorizing the Administrator to research a Sales Tax including City of Mansfield for developing a Sports Complex at the Industrial Park
U.    POLICY AND PROCEDURES ITEMS
      15. Recommends updating the Policy for Holiday Schedule
V.    ROAD ITEMS
      16. Recommends authorizing the process of closing/abandon Bice Road
      17. Recommends approving the E911 naming of Gin Lot Private Lane Off of Hwy 5 in Grand Cane
W.  ADJOURN

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Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the attached suspect. Tips can be made anonymously. We don’t need your name, just your information. You can provide law enforcement with a tip by visiting http://www.P3Tips.com, by calling 1-800-505-7867, or by filling out the Submit A Tip form in the “Forms & Tips” section of the DeSoto Parish Sheriff App. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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The DeSoto Parish School Wellness Team will host a Spring Fling on Saturday, May 18, 2024, from 10am to 2pm at The Desoto Parish School Board Administration Building, 399 Jenkins St. The theme for this event is “Springing Into Wellness.”

This event is open for all DeSoto Parish Schools’ students, employees, parents, and community partners to explore various aspects of wellness. They will have well-being resources, health and wellness screenings, food trucks, bounce houses, bingo, music, line dancing, prizes and plenty of fun!

The DeSoto Parish School Wellness Team is excited to unite students, teachers, staff, parents, and the community to emphasize the significance of health and wellness in enhancing lives and preventing diseases.

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With family and friends yelling the title “Nurse” at their loved ones for the first time, 11 practical nurse graduates at LSUS received their pins and took their oaths Thursday at the program’s graduation.

Donned in their white nursing uniforms, LSUS’s 11 graduates will help replenish a nursing pool in which the average age of nurses across the country has topped 50 years old.

“The demand for healthcare workers has never been higher,” said LSUS Chancellor Dr. Robert Smith. “While the COVID-19 pandemic has really put a damper on folks going into healthcare, at the same time, a lot of baby boomers – folks my age – have been aging out of the workforce.

“At the same time, we’re living longer and expecting a higher level of healthcare. You all have your work cut out for you, but I know that what you’re going to be doing in your field will improve the level of healthcare right here in Shreveport.”

Graduates earning their degrees included Brittney Allen, Hannah Allen, Jessica Curry, Kelsey Davis, Antoinette James, Felicia McKenzie, Destiny Myers, Crystal Pryor, Victor Reyes, Tanya Robinson, and Lauryn Smith.

The 12-month LPN program at LSUS is broken down into a classroom section and a clinicals section.

Smith earned an award for the highest achiever in the classroom portion of the program while Curry claimed the honor for achievement in the field.

These graduates completed the only LPN program in Louisiana that finishes in one year, logging a combined 1,540 hours of theoretical and practical nursing into that condensed timeframe.

Student speaker Felicia McKenzie said the process wasn’t easy.

“Our class has had to overcome hospitalizations, deaths, relationship problems, personal problems, and a whole host of other problems to make it here today,” McKenzie said. “But we were either going to succumb to what was in our way or push through.

“We couldn’t have done it without the faculty’s support and guidance and the support of our family and friends.”

The graduating class demonstrated that support to LSUS’s nursing faculty by presenting plants to each one at the ceremony.

Dr. Dennis Wissing, dean of the college of education and human development, performed the blessing of the hands ceremony while Debbie Holloway directed the Florence Nightingale Pledge.

For more information about the LSUS LPN program and application process, visit the program’s website.

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People with humble beginnings can achieve great things. Henry Louis was born on February 5, 1934. Henry became interested in baseball when he was a child. His family was too poor to afford a baseball bat or even a baseball. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Hank practiced his batting by hitting bottle caps with broomsticks. He used anything he could find to use as bats and balls. With his makeshift gear, he could hit harder and farther than any of the other kids.

In 1949, 15-year-old Henry got his first tryout with a major league baseball team, the Brooklyn Dodgers. Henry’s boyhood idol was the legendary Jackie Robinson, who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Everything seemed to be falling into place, but Henry was devastated when he was not selected to join the team. In the same year, Henry joined the Prichard Athletics, an independent Negro league team. While with the Athletics, Henry earned $2 per game. Adjusted for inflation, that would be about $24 in today’s money. Next, he played for the Mobile Black Bears, and earned $3 per game.

On November 20, 1951, a baseball scout who had been watching Henry, signed him to a contract with the Indianapolis Clowns where he earned $200 per month. Now, that’s about $2,350 in today’s money. Not too bad. Remember, these teams were in the Negro league, and it was the early 1950s. Racism was rampant. Henry remembered back to a time when he and the other Indianapolis Clowns visited Washington, D.C. for a game:

“We had breakfast while we were waiting for the rain to stop, and I can still envision sitting with the Clowns in a restaurant behind Griffith Stadium and hearing them break all the plates in the kitchen after we finished eating. What a horrible sound. Even as a kid, the irony of it hit me: here we were in the capital in the land of freedom and equality, and they had to destroy the plates that had touched the forks that had been in the mouths of black men. If dogs had eaten off those plates, they’d have washed them.”

The constant racism he had to endure coupled with being homesick, Henry contemplated giving up baseball altogether. His brother, Herbert Jr. convinced Henry to keep working toward his dream. With a pep talk from his brother, Henry worked harder than ever. Word of Henry’s talent spread while he was with the Clowns. After just three months with the Clowns, Henry received two telegrams with offers to join two Major League Baseball teams, the New York Giants and the Boston Braves. Henry later recalled:

“I had the Giants’ contract in my hand. But the Braves offered fifty dollars a month more. That’s the only thing that kept Willie Mays and me from being teammates – fifty dollars.”

Fifty dollars a month may not sound like much, but that would be nearly $600 a month extra in today’s money. Henry decided on the Braves, but remember that he was still under contract to the Clowns. The Braves purchased Henry’s contract for $10,000, just over $117,000 in today’s money. On June 12, 1952, Henry officially joined the Braves. Henry quickly earned a nickname, but that nickname had nothing to do with his powerful hitting. His teammates called him “pork chops.” Henry explained, “it was the only thing I knew to order off the menu.” One of his teammates said, “the man ate pork chops three meals a day, two for breakfast.” Opposing pitchers often called him “Bad Henry.”

Henry prospered with the Braves. By the end of his first season with the Braves, the league unanimously named him Rookie of the Year. In the following year, 1953, the Braves won the league championship. Henry led the league in runs, hits, doubles, RBIs, total bases, and batting average. Henry won the league’s Most Valuable Player Award. Still, there was racism aimed at Henry. One sportswriter said “Henry… led the league in everything except hotel accommodations.” While traveling in the South, Henry was segregated from his teammates due to Jim Crow laws. While his white teammates had hotel accommodations made for them, Henry had to arrange his own hotel accommodations.

Throughout his career, Henry earned many accolades, too many to list. In 1973, something big was happening. Henry, then playing for the Atlanta Braves, was closing in on Babe Ruth’s career home run record of 714. During the summer of 1973, Henry received so many letters each week, usually in the thousands, that the Braves hired a secretary to help Henry. Not all of the mail Henry received was positive. Henry received a lot of hate mail and death threats. How dare he even attempt to break Babe Ruth’s record. Due to the high number of death threats, policemen worked in shifts to protect Henry. On September 29, 1973, Henry hit his 713th career home run in a game against the Houston Astros. He had just one more home run to tie Babe Ruth’s record. Two more home runs to beat Babe Ruth’s record. But Henry failed to hit another home run in that game. The season ended the following day.

Henry feared that he would not live to see the 1974 baseball season. During the offseason, his amount of mail, including hate mail, increased. He received so much mail that at the end of 1973, the U.S. Postal Service sent him a plaque for receiving more mail than any other person, with the exception of politicians. He received approximately 930,000 letters that year. The number of death threats increased exponentially. Lewis Grizzard, executive sports editor of The Atlanta Journal, who had been preparing coverage on the home run record, secretly had one of his sportswriters write an obituary for Henry because he was afraid that Henry would be murdered before he had a chance to break Babe Ruth’s record.

Henry did live to play in the 1974 season, but there was a problem. Braves managers wanted Henry to beat Babe Ruth’s record while in Atlanta, but their first three games were away games. The managers were going to have Henry sit out of the first three games, but the baseball commissioner insisted that Henry play in at least two of the three games. On April 4, 1974, in a game against the Cincinnati Reds in Cincinnati, Henry made a home run and tied Babe Ruth’s record. The managers certainly wanted to win the game, but they did not want Henry to make another home run before returning home to Atlanta. Henry did not hit another home run in an away game.

Four days later, April 8, 1974, the Braves played against the LA Dodgers in Atlanta. It was a home game. A record-breaking 53,775 people attended the game. In the fourth inning, Al Downing of the Dodgers pitched the ball. Henry swung. The ball flew over left-center field and into the Braves’ bullpen. Cannons fired in celebration. Henry had broken Babe Ruth’s record. As Henry rounded the bases, he saw his mother proudly waiting for him at home plate to give him a congratulatory hug.

Henry Louis is one of the most revered players in baseball history. And it all started with broomsticks and bottle caps. Even if you are not a baseball fan, you will have heard his name. Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron.

 

Sources:

1.      “Hank Aaron, Academy Class of 1977, Full Interview,” Www.youtube.com. Accessed May 12, 2024, https://youtu.be/pbMvgj5LIRM?si=6AW0jMztgxTRleI4.‌

2.     “David Letterman – Hammerin’ Hank Aaron,” CBS, https://youtu.be/GYmRXRlxIvk?si=GCUYa0Zj7ZZYqU5t.

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Baton Rouge, La. – The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s (LDAF) Livestock Brand Commission will host its next saddle microchipping event on Friday, May 31, from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. It will be held at Burton Coliseum located at 7001 Gulf Highway in Lake Charles, Louisiana, in conjunction with the Louisiana High School Rodeo Association.

LDAF’s microchip identification program provides all saddle owners in the state of Louisiana the opportunity to have their saddles registered and identified by using a microchip implant. If microchipped saddles are ever stolen, the program allows brand officers to confirm ownership and return the property. This service is provided free to the public.

“Saddles don’t often have identifiable marks or serials numbers to reference if they are stolen,” said LDAF Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M. “This program provides a tool that can both deter and prove theft, as well as assist with the return of stolen saddles.”

The saddle microchipping program is a joint venture of the Livestock Brand Commission, parish sheriff’s offices, other law enforcement agencies, parish cattlemen’s associations, and riding clubs.

Should there be any questions, please contact the Livestock Brand Commission at 225-925-3962.

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