DeSoto Parish Schools announced that Amanda LaFollette, Principal of Mansfield Elementary School, has been named the 2025 Louisiana Elementary School Principal of the Year by the Louisiana Department of Education at the 18th Annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Awards Gala, co-sponsored by Dream Teachers. This remarkable achievement makes Mrs. LaFollette the third consecutive division winner for Louisiana Principal of the Year from DeSoto Parish. Tamela Phillips, former Principal of North DeSoto High School, won the 2023 Louisiana High School Principal of the Year. Barry Carter, Principal of North DeSoto Middle School, won the 2024 Louisiana Middle School Principal of the Year.

With LaFollette’s guidance, Mansfield Elementary has flourished. It embodies DeSoto Parish Schools’ core values of high performance, a positive and caring culture, making a difference, and preserving our small-town traditions. It showcases the outstanding leadership and dedication within our community.

Superintendent Clay Corley stated, “It’s truly awesome to see Mrs. LaFollette receive this prestigious award. Her impact is immeasurable, and her influence is a shining example of #TheDeSotoDifference in action. I couldn’t be prouder of her and the Mansfield Elementary community for this well-deserved honor.”

Student outcomes at Mansfield Elementary School have improved significantly this past school year. Mansfield Elementary serves as the pilot school for DeSoto Parish Schools’ Student Wellness program and has been named a model of excellence for literacy by the Louisiana Department of Education.

Director of Administration, Brandon Burback also praised LaFollette’s achievements by saying, “We are so proud of Mrs. LaFollette! She has always exhibited a passion for caring for those she serves. Her ability to skillfully implement strategy, paired with her desire to create a positive and caring culture, exemplifies the value of high performance. Thank you, Mrs. LaFollette, for your dedication and devotion to those that you serve.”

Bridget Flanders, Director of Student Learning, commended LaFollette’s commitment to excellence and said, “It is such a joy to see Mrs. LaFollette honored for her impact and continues to make at MES. Her hard work and dedication to excellence is an inspiration to us all.”

As a native of DeSoto Parish, LaFollette began her education career in the school system as a math teacher at Mansfield High School in 2002. She taught math for fourteen years at Mansfield High School, where she served as the cheerleader and the initial sponsor of the National Beta Club. After she served as a career teacher, LaFollette became a Master Teacher in 2016, supporting math teachers both at Mansfield High School and Mansfield Middle School. Her stint as Mansfield Elementary School’s Principal began in the 2020-2021 school year. Her outstanding leadership, dedication, and unwavering commitment to students and staff have set a remarkable standard for excellence. Her innovative approach and heartfelt passion for education have not only driven the school to achieve significant academic success but also created a warm, supportive environment where each student feels valued and empowered.

Principal LaFollette states that this honor is representative to the hard work of her staff and students: “I am so grateful for this recognition, which has provided me with the opportunity to showcase the excellent work that everyone at Mansfield Elementary School does every day. I was called to education to make a difference in the lives of children who need it the most, and I am so blessed that Desoto Parish has given me the privilege to do that. Being honored for doing what I love is truly unbelievable.”

The 18th Annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Awards Gala was held at the World War II Museum in New Orleans, LA, on the evening of July 27, 2024. During the event, the Department announced the 2025 State Elementary, Middle, and High School Teacher and Principal of the Year honorees, the 2025 New Teacher of the Year, and the 2025 Early Childhood Leader and Teacher of the Year. To learn more about the award winners visit:

https://louisianabelieves.com/newsroom/news-releases/release/2024/07/28/louisiana-state-teacher-and-principal-of-the-year-announced-during-annual-gala-recognizing-education-excellence.

For more information about the DeSoto Parish School System and its commitment to providing quality education, please visit http://www.desotopsb.com.

Source: desotopsb.com

Gimme an “E!” for “excitement!”

Go team!

It’s ‘that’ time of year, and the password is “excited!”

We can talk volleyball or soccer, and “certainly there is reason for excitement!” as most any coach would say, about the upcoming prospects on the court and on the pitch.

But the Kingpin of Autumn is football, so …

Pigskin Excitement!

Of all your excitements, the best and most contagious kind has got to be Pigskin Excitement! Optimism is rampant, hyperbole is free and easy.

And so — here we are. With August and the first days of (legal) practice knocking at the door, the only way to get in is to say you’re “excited,” or one of its cousins.

You can be “Eager!” or “Fired up!” or “Stoked!” or “Juiced!” or even, if you are light-headed due to excitement, “in a tizzy!”

It does not matter if you’re a Rhodes Scholar pulling guard or a quarterback with a rocket arm and chicken lo mein for brains, if you are not “EXCITED!” then buddy you’d better GET excited or get your butt OUT of this locker room and OFF this field!

These are exciting times!

But … what about the teams that SAY they’re excited but are NOT excited? What about the teams that are just flat-out depressed? Don’t they deserve some love too?

We’ve been around and can testify: there’s not always a lot of exciting joy in Mudville.

There is what you will read in the newspapers and hear on film clips — “After an inspired offseason, we’re excited about getting on the field and sending these seniors out as champions!” — and there is what you will hear when the depressed coach walks back to the training room and pours his soul out, sweaty hat in hand, to the equipment manager.

“We’re not worth donating to the homeless store. It depresses me to think that State U. is going to come in here in about eight weeks, right about the time we’re 2-5, and beat us like a rented mule.

“And ol’ Frankie Junior, he could be the best tight end in the league but I swear, if he was any dumber, we’d have to water that boy twice a day.

“We tried to put in a new system in the off-season and, Moses and Enoch themselves as my witness, it’s not going to be any better than the OLD system because we have the SAME players! We don’t need a new system; we need new players. Preferably ones with IQ’s higher than their shoe sizes.

“On top of that, our mascot is getting neutered Tuesday. Did you know that? Doesn’t even have a vote. We’ve got more problems than a little bit.

“And jock itch has infected the whole team. I’m telling you I’m so unlucky, I could reach in a barrel of silver dollars and pull out a penny.

“Only thing that can save us now is the NC Double A fining us and putting us on permanent suspension so we don’t have to play, but we’re too poor to have broken any rules. We couldn’t buy the toot off a whistle if they were selling for a nickel a pop. Boy if heartaches were commercials, I’d be all over everybody’s television sets…

“Meanwhile I’m having to tell the press and fans we’re ‘excited!’ Yesterday I even threw out a ‘SUPER-excited!’ Think they bought it?

“You know what excites me? That the season won’t last forever.

“But it’s sure gonna seem that way.”

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

BATON ROUGE, LA – The Louisiana Legislature announced today that it has contracted with Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in order to perform a comprehensive assessment of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD).

Earlier this year, Governor Jeff Landry issued an executive order mandating the optimization of DOTD’s operations. The order requires DOTD Secretary Joe Donahue to submit a comprehensive plan for the Department by January 15, 2025. To ensure Secretary Donahue has all necessary information, the Louisiana Coalition to Fix Our Roads (LCFOR) met with Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to provide the industry engagement portion of the DOTD reform assessment.

“As the legislative bodies responsible for overseeing and ensuring funding for DOTD, we believe it is crucial to be deeply involved in this process,” said Senate President Cameron Henry. “Legislators are closest to the people, and it is our duty to engage now to ensure DOTD’s future success.”

“Our members are dedicated to getting this right, and we would be remiss to not fully engage in this process to reform and restructure DOTD,” said Speaker of the House Phillip DeVillier. “We look forward to collaborating closely with members of both chambers, LCFOR, and Secretary Donahue to develop a workable plan that addresses the Department’s needs and positions it for future success.”

Governor Jeff Landry, who initiated these efforts, commended both industry and the legislature for their involvement.

“The collaboration between private industry, both chambers of the legislature, and my office to address this issue is a positive sign for Louisiana, and a harbinger of success,” Governor Landry stated. “We are committed to improving DOTD’s operations and rebuilding our state’s infrastructure.”

“LCFOR members have diligently worked to identify pain points across various sectors and stakeholder groups that interact with DOTD,” said Erich Ponti, LCFOR President. “We appreciate the opportunity to provide BCG thorough analysis and feedback to address core issues.”

BCG’s assessment phase is scheduled to conclude in early fall, allowing Secretary Donahue time to review the recommendations and develop his comprehensive plan by the January 15, 2025, deadline.

I was looking at my hands while driving to Shreveport. I noticed this spot on one of them. Now with all the worries about skin cancer and since I hung out on the beach and roasted myself as an adolescent, I was concerned about the spot on my hand. It looked funny through my sunglasses, and I made a note to check the spot when I finished driving.

I arrived at the appointed hospital for the visit and remembered my hand. I made the visit, had prayer, was encouraged by the person’s faith and hope, and went to the lobby. There I examined my hand. I looked carefully at the spot on the top of my hand. I did what is in vogue in our world, I consulted Dr. Google.

So, I know you are curious about the spot. It is a symptom of a terminal condition. The hand is marking the first symptom of the incurable malady. I know you will pray for me through this malady, and I will receive good medical care.

Oh, the spot, it is an age spot! I think I grew the age spot for my last birthday. It is on the top of my right hand, and I have noticed that the left hand is growing matching spots.

I want you to live a good, long, and healthy life. I want you to do everything you need to do to avoid all the things that the latest study has revealed that shorten our lives. I want you to believe the media about living longer. Go ahead and buy all that stuff at Walmart that will bring your vitality and hide your age spots.

Did you know that a person who ate meat, drank dairy, ate vegetables, was exposed to sunlight, had minimal medical care, and was born in 1850 has a 100% chance of being dead today? Well, you caught my sarcasm!

Here is the deal, none of us get out of this life alive! You will not be the first. My words of advice, enjoy the journey!

Jesus promised us abundant life. Part of that abundant life is living this day fully trusting that God’s grace will see us through. Jesus also promised that after we are finished living that “He was the way, the truth, and the life” and that through Him we could come to the Father.

Whether you soul is spotted with the scars of sin, or your hands are showing the spots of age, we have hope.

Jesus, the carpenter promised that He has made a home for us in heaven, that promise is our only hope in the face of our spots.

Doug de Graffenried is Pastor of Trinity Methodist Church in Ruston.

Contact him at dougsponderings@gmail.com

These arrests were made by DeSoto Sheriff, Mansfield Police, and Louisiana State Police.

All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Randolph, Ashlyn S.
W F 32
Operating vehicle while intoxicated; first offense
DWI-Child endangerment
Careless operation
Longview

Riley, Tommie Gene
W M 36
Fugitive Warrant/arrest
Possession of CDS II
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Los Fresnos, Tx

Crow, Kristyn Alyssa
W F 31
Domestic Abuse Battery
Benton

Holt, Kenneth
W M 36
Domestic Abuse Battery-Strangulation
Coushatta

Oliver, Lavonte L
B M 36
Warrant DeSoto Parish
Mansfield

McKenzie, Jacob Hunter
W M 29
Probation Violation
Stonewall

Hall, Shadarian R
B M 24
Warrant DeSoto Parish
Center, TX

Womack, Cody
W M 29
DWI second offense
Driving on roadway laned for traffic
Avinger, TX

Washington, Angelica
B F 34
Aggravated Second degree battery
Mansfield

Middleton, Carrie Brevelle
W F 49
Operating a vehicle while intoxicated first offense
Driving roadway laned for traffic
Mansfield

Buckley, Taquilla Shevett
B F 41
Aggravated Assault
Theft
Mansfield

For the past few years, it was looking like Louisiana’s turkey hunters would have to reluctantly put away their shotguns and turkey calls and go back to doing what we were doing a couple of decades ago. It seemed the only outdoors springtime activity would be fishing. All the statistics pointed to a steady decline in turkey populations, back like it was when only a handful of local diehards, like Blue Parkman, Pete Brister and L.W. Hamner went out morning after morning hoping they might find a turkey track or actually hear a gobble.

Then something happened. According to a press release by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), Louisiana’s turkey hunters enjoyed the best year by far from a harvest standpoint in 2024. They reported taking 3695 birds during the recently completed hunting season.

This year, for the first time since the harvest reporting was mandated in 2009, turkey hunters reported taking more than 3,000 birds. In fact, the past three seasons were the best ever reported since harvest data was compiled. Last year, an astounding 2833 birds were taken but for the 2024 season, the take was 30.4 percent higher than that.

What happened? Why did the harvest data take a jump in the right direction over the past three years? In 2018, the LDWF staff recommended that the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission push back the opening date for turkey season to give gobblers and hens more time to take care of the business of breeding and putting more baby turkeys on the ground.

Cody Cedatol is Turkey Program Manager for LDWF and he believes that giving turkeys more time to do what they naturally do in spring before hunters take to the woods played a big role in the improvement of the number of gobblers being taken. “This clearly indicates increasing turkey populations in many areas of the state and provides additional evidence that the season change is working,” said Cedatol. “Many hunters indicated increased encounters with jakes (juvenile turkeys), which is an indicator of good reproduction. Similar reports were noted in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.”

Jason Lupardis, native Kentuckian, has been named CEO of an up and coming organization, Turkeys for Tomorrow, that has the goal of trying to pinpoint problems nationwide having to do with the overall decline in wild turkey populations around the country.

We visited with Lupardis recently to ask about Turkeys for Tomorrow and get his take on what he sees as some of the main problems and why he believes Louisiana has beat the odds, in a manner of speaking, by having such good results over the past 2-3 years while other states continue to struggle.

“Reports from brood surveys of Louisiana turkeys have shown a higher poult-to-hen ratio which means that there has been good production of young turkeys. That is partly due,” said Lupardis,” to the pushing back opening day to allow gobblers and hens to breed.” To find out how Turkeys for Tomorrow works, visit turkeysfortomorrow.org.

He also noted a new regulation Louisiana will implement beginning the 2025 season that will protect young gobblers. “The new regulation means only youth hunters may take one jake per season. For remaining hunters, only mature gobblers may be taken and jakes will be off limits. A mature gobbler is described as an adult with tail feathers the same length, beard longer than 6 inches and spurs at least ½ inch long,” he said.

It is troubling to realize that in so many areas, Louisiana is at or near the bottom in rank. However, when it comes to wild turkeys, our state because of more restrictive regulations, is setting standards that hopefully will see our wild turkey population continue to thrive.

Linda Kay Henderson
February 20, 1944 — July 29, 2024
Service: Thursday, August 1, 2024 at 11am at Rose Neath Funeral Homes – Mansfield

Michael Norton, DPPJ Parish Administrator, shared that sandbags are available until 2pm today.  DeSoto Parish residents can pick them up at 424 Liberty Lane in Grand Cane. Identification is required and each household will be limited to 20 sandbags.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for all of DeSoto Parish until 11:15am.
2 to 4 inches have already fallen in the area. Another 1 to 2 inches is expected in the warned area.

Deputies with the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office attended the annual D.A.R.E. Conference held at the LSUS. from July 15 through 19, and hosted by Northwest Louisiana departments in the State of Louisiana.

Lt. Natasha Jones with DPSO helped host the event, along with President Jason Jones from Shreveport PD. DeSoto Sheriff Pilot, Dakota McGarity, flew out to participate in the event as well.

Stanley High School SRO Lane Burns spoke to attendees from various agencies on how he has worked with DeSoto students to create an interactive school mapping system for training and emergency response purposes. These maps, complete with room numbers and visualizations, have now been completed for all DeSoto Parish campuses, and are accessible by every department employee on their cellular device.

Lt. Natasha Jones took home the trophy for 1st Place and Best of Show for our the newly designed DeSoto Sheriff D.A.R.E. vehicle.

Students enjoyed fun activities such as bowling and other games. 

Source: DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office Facebook page

Get ready for the new school year with the DeSoto School Uniform Ministry sponsored by DeSoto Parish United Methodist Churches. DSUM helps ensure every DeSoto student has the uniforms needed to help them succeed.

Parents, take your child to the following locations to receive school uniforms for the 24-25 school year.

Logansport and Stanley:
First United Methodist Church, 401 Gum Street, Logansport
Monday, July 29 or Tuesday July 30 from 4-6:30pm

Mansfield and North DeSoto:
First United Methodist Church, 502 Polk Street, Mansfield
Thursday, August 1 or Friday, August 2 from 3-7pm

Leonard Franklin Slye was born on November 5, 1911, in a tenement building on 2nd Street in Cincinnati, Ohio. His family and friends called him Len. Eventually, the tenement building where Len was born was torn down and the Riverfront baseball stadium was built on the location. Len always said that he was born at second base.

Within months of Len’s birth, Len’s father Andy, and his brother Will tired of their jobs and built a houseboat from salvaged lumber. In July 1912, Andy, his wife Mattie, and their three children, Mary, Cleda, and Len, along with Will, his wife Elizabeth, and their son Raymond, sailed east along the Ohio River from Cincinnati towards Portsmouth in the homemade 12-foot by 50-foot houseboat. The Slye families jointly purchased land near Portsmouth where they planned to disassemble their houseboat and build a house from the lumber, but mother nature altered their plans.

On March 23, 1913, heavy rain began to fall which continued for at least four days. Flooding from the rain killed an estimated 650 people in at least 13 states. Damages to property exceeded $330 million. This became known as the Great Flood of 1913. The majority of the deaths—somewhere between 422 and 470—happened in Ohio. In Dayton, Ohio, downtown streets were covered with water 10 feet deep. Fourteen square miles of the city were flooded. An estimated 123 people were killed in Dayton alone. In Hamilton, 35 miles downstream from Dayton, about 100 people were killed when water from 10 to 18 feet deep flowed through its residential districts. 93 people died from flooding in Columbus, Ohio.

As the waters rose near Portsmouth, the Slye families used the high water to their advantage and moved their houseboat onto the water which covered their property. They carefully positioned the houseboat and tied it off. As the water slowly receded, they placed foundation piers under the houseboat. The houseboat eventually rested perfectly on their land. There was another benefit in keeping the houseboat river worthy. If the river flooded again, their home would be protected from the water because it would float.

In 1915, Len’s sister Kathleen was born in the former houseboat. In 1919, Andy purchased farmland near Lucasville, Ohio, about 12 miles north of Portsmouth, where he built a six-room house. Despite his best efforts, Andy was unable to earn enough income from the farm for his family to survive. He took a job at a shoe factory in Portsmouth. During the work week, Andy stayed in Portsmouth. On weekends, he returned to the farm. While Andy was away, the rest of the family was pretty much isolated from the outside world. To communicate over long distances on the farm, Len and his mother used different yodels. The varying pitch of their voices carried much farther than yelling. Yodeling was a skill that helped Len later on.

In the days before electronic devices, television, or radio, the Slye family found ways to entertain themselves. Saturday night square dances were common on the Slye family farm. Len would often play the mandolin and call the square dances or sing. This began before Len was a teenager. By the time he turned 18, Len’s musical abilities were like a finely tuned machine. In 1929, Andy, Mattie, Len, and Kathleen drove in their 1923 Dodge to Lawndale, California to visit Len’s older sister Mary and her husband. In the spring of 1930, the Slye family moved to Lawndale permanently. Soon thereafter, Mary suggested that Len audition for a radio show called the Midnight Frolic. Producers of the show were surprised by Len’s talents. A few nights later, Len, dressed in his best western attire, played guitar, sang, and yodeled on the program.

Len was in demand from then on, and became part of several western musical groups. The most successful was the Pioneers Trio, which became the Sons of the Pioneers when a radio station announcer changed their name because he thought they were too young to be seen as pioneers. In 1934, the Sons of the Pioneers signed a recording contract and began recording material in August of that year. One of the songs to come out of that session was the western standard “Tumbling Tumbleweeds.” Their 1934 recording was selected by the Library of Congress as a 2010 addition to the National Recording Registry, which selects recordings annually that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

In 1935, Len began working in western films using his real name Leonard Slye. Gene Autry was the king of western films, but he kept demanding more money for his work as the singing cowboy. Studios began looking for another singing cowboy that they could get for less money. Len fit the part perfectly… well, almost. Republic Pictures, who hired Len, thought Lenoard Slye was not a suitable name for a western star. The film company finally settled on a stage name for Len.

While working in Hollywood, Len’s alter ego taught lessons in fairness and gentleness. He was always on the right side of the law and respected the law. His was a positive character with unwavering principles. This was more than just a Hollywood-created persona, this was Leonard Slye. He was a positive role model, something that we could use more of in our modern times.

Republic Pictures chose Len’s stage name carefully. They thought Roy had a good western ring to it. At the time, Will Rogers was a popular western comic entertainer, and they wanted to take advantage of the name recognition. From that point on, the world knew Leonard “Len” Slye, the King of Cowboys, as Roy Rogers.

Sources:

1. Chicago Tribune, July 7, 1998, p.97.
2. The Cincinnati Enquirer, July 7, 1998, p.28.
3. Desert Dispatch, July 7, 1998, p.1.

ELA mastery rate improves for students in grades 3-8, students with disabilities in grades 3-8 improve overall mastery rate for third consecutive year

(BATON ROUGE, LA) – The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) released LEAP results for the 2023-2024 school year today. Statewide data shows Louisiana students maintained recent gains made on the state assessment that measures proficiency in core academic subjects. The English/language arts (ELA) mastery rate for students in grades 3-8 improved by one point and students with disabilities in grades 3-8 grew their overall mastery rate for the third consecutive year.

“Following consecutive years of improvement, these latest scores show students holding steady,” said Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. “With a need to see increased outcomes, however, these numbers substantiate our recent aggressive efforts to simply let teachers teach, provide students with high-dosage tutoring, refresh our school accountability model, and expand options for students to access high-quality schools.”

Results from the 2024 LEAP assessments show:

• In ELA, students in grades 3-8 improved their previous overall mastery rate by one point. ELA mastery rates improved in grades 3, 5, 6, and 7 and declined in grades 4 and 8.
• In math, students in grades 3-8 maintained their previous overall mastery rate. Math mastery rates improved in grades 4 and 7, remained the same in grades 5 and 6, and declined in grades 3 and 8.
• In science, students in grades 3-8 maintained their previous overall mastery rate. Science mastery rates improved in grades 3, 5, and 6 and declined in 4, 7, and 8.
• The percent of students scoring “Unsatisfactory” — the lowest achievement level — decreased when compared to last year in grades 3-12.
• The overall mastery rate for students with disabilities improved in 3-8 for the third consecutive year.
• Third graders grew two points in both ELA and science.
• Fourth graders dipped three in ELA and two in science, while growing two in math.
• Fifth graders grew three points in ELA and one in science.
• Sixth graders grew two in ELA and three in science.
• Students in grades 4 and 7 grew in math for the third consecutive year. Fourth graders improved by two points and seventh graders by one.
• Eighth graders dropped one in both ELA and math and three in science.

Louisiana’s overall mastery rate for students in grades 3-8 is 34, high school is 36, and the combined rate is 35. All of those percentages match totals from the previous year. The mastery rate measures the percentage of students who scored Mastery or above on LEAP and are considered proficient. 

LEAP measures proficiency in English/language arts (ELA), math, science, and social studies for grades 3-12. Social studies results were not available this year because the LDOE is developing an assessment for Louisiana’s new Freedom Framework social studies standards. The operational social studies test will occur in the spring of 2025.

Student scores are reported on five levels: Unsatisfactory, Approaching Basic, Basic, Mastery, or Advanced. Students scoring Mastery and Advanced are considered proficient, or ready for the next grade level without the need for remediation or additional support.

Young scientists at the Logansport Library had a blast recently at the STEM program. They experimented  becoming an Astrobiologist, Planetary Geologist, Robotics Engineer, and a Rocket Engineer.

The children learned how to observe and compare samples, created models of Mars’ landscape, and explored different rocket launch angles!

The library gave a cosmic shout-out to GSK and The Franklin Institute for igniting curiosity, fostering scientific thinking, and launching dreams among our young space adventurers!

The next Stem day is Monday, August 19 at 4pm.

Source: DeSoto Parish Library Facebook page

Now in the latter years of my life, I’ve developed a hatred for summers and the high temperatures that come with it. No longer do I look forward those hot summer days the same way I did as a youth.

But today we’re going to turn back the clock on what was one of the best periods of my life.

Growing up in my house, there was no such thing as “sleeping in.” Pretty much every day of my life the light switch was turned on in my room no later than 6:30 in the morning. Growing up on a ranch in East Texas was a great privilege of mine and it taught me so much about hard work and responsibility. 

But it was also my playground for hunting and fishing and is where my passion for the outdoors started. I literally spent hours and days transversing the woods and stock ponds of our ranch. This is where I learned to hunt squirrels and deer while our stock ponds were loaded with bass and catfish, my training ground for fishing.

Directly across the street from our house, a few miles out of town, was the property of Mr. Rayford Jones who was a cattle rancher with a couple of really good catfish ponds. This is where a good friend of mine (Malcolm Jones, Rayford’s grandson) and I spent the majority of those hot summer days fishing for catfish.

Since we did not have cell phones back in those days, we would make arrangements the night before to meet at the one of those catfish ponds just after daylight. We tried to beat the heat by getting out there early but most often we were there until around noon or until we got tired of catching fish. 

The worst part about catching catfish was that someone had to clean them, and it didn’t take long for us to make the decision to just enjoy catching and releasing the catfish back into the pond so we could catch them again on another day — or you could say, we were just lazy.

One thing about fishing for catfish: it requires much patience, but is a fun way to fish. In order to catch catfish, you need bait. Now bait can be in the form of several different things, as catfish will eat just about anything including the kitchen sink…. but that’s hard to get on a hook. Some people use what is known as blood bait, which is not only nasty, but stinks to high heaven as well. Frozen shrimp also make great catfish bait along with hot dogs and earthworms. 

We liked to double our fun by using what is known as cut bait. You first catch a few small bream with crickets or earthworms and then cut the tails off and use that for bait. Every now and then, we had so much fun catching the bream, we would just forget about the catfish. 

I’ve often wondered — is it hotter today than when were kids? Probably not, but we were just acclimated to the heat better since we spent every waking hour outdoors and not inside an air-conditioned house. Our parents insisted we stay outside even if we were thirsty. Thank the Lord for whoever invented the garden hose, because this was a survival tool for kids of my generation. 

Shade trees were not just a part of our front yard, they were a gathering spot to get some relief from the summer sun. The only thing better than a shade tree was a fruit tree. There were several pear and apple trees in the area along with a couple of fig trees — all used for survival. A lot of people back during the 1960s and ‘70s planted fruit trees, something you don’t see much any more.  

I miss thpse days. I really enjoyed growing up the way I did. If we weren’t fishing, we were playing baseball on a sandlot or any backyard we could find. Yes, there were a few broken windows, but our sandlot games were fun and a great training ground for developing our baseball skills. If was too hot to play baseball, we went to the local swimming pool in order to beat the heat. 

I know it was a different time, but back then we had freedom and the ability to go wherever our bikes could takes us. We did not need or have much favor towards babysitters. We also never complained about it being too hot. We beat it with a Wham-O Water Wiggle or a Slip-N-Slide. 

‘Til next time, good luck, good fishing and make sure to wear your sunscreen. Melanoma is the No. 1 killer of all cancers so take the time to protect yourself.

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

SHREVEPORT – On the heels of an overall enrollment record this past spring, LSUS announced a new summer enrollment record of 7,512 students Wednesday.

The new summer record is up 20 percent from this past summer and bested the previous mark of 6,998 from Summer 2021.

Increases in both undergraduate and graduate enrollment account for the new record.

“This amazing enrollment news would not be possible without the efforts of our faculty and staff, students sharing our story with their friends and families, and the community members that sponsor our robust scholarship program,” said Demitrius Brown, vice chancellor for student affairs. “Today’s students want educational opportunities that allow them to balance their various commitments and make progress toward careers that meet their goals.”

Undergraduate enrollment ticked up slightly, but those undergrads are taking more credit hours with a five percent increase from Summer 2023.

Undergraduate transfer students were also a growth area, blooming 21 percent.

Students who started graduate programs in previous terms and continued classes through the summer account for the largest increase.

Graduate students who continued in their programs rose nearly 1,000 students (24 percent increase from Summer 2023), bolstered by strong enrollment gains throughout the past year.

New graduate students also spiked with 1,295 starting programs this summer (a 16 percent hike).

The strong summer enrollment numbers follow an LSUS record enrollment of 10,214 this past spring.

LSUS’s growth occurs in an environment in which many universities across the state and the country are navigating enrollment and financial headwinds.

The University isn’t just attracting more students through its doors, it’s being recognized for serving those students once they’ve enrolled.

LSUS received the highest marks in the state in the second annual Economic Mobility Index, which measures how effectively institutions assist low-income students to improve their socioeconomic status by graduating into well-paying jobs. LSUS ranked in the top 20 percent nationally in the study conducted by the organization Third Way, which published this past September.

The University was also one of 11 colleges chosen to participate in the inaugural cohort of the John Gardner Foundation’s program to transform the early college experience. The program is designed to identify and reduce barriers to student success and degree completion.

“The data show that college degrees can provide a path to positive economic mobility,” Brown said. “We know that affordability matters, and the scholarships we provide significantly help our students.

“Many of our graduates leave us with minimal if any debt.”

NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State Director of Athletics Kevin Bostian announced on Wednesday the hiring of Jenny Fuller, winner of the 2024 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Coach of the Year award, as the 13th head softball coach in program history.

“We went through an exhaustive search with a large pool of applicants,” Director of Athletics Kevin Bostian said. “Because of the investment that we are making into the softball program and what we see for the future of the program, this was a sought-after position with many high-quality candidates.

“As they say the cream rises to the top and that is exactly what happened with Jenny. She’s had success in her previous jobs revitalizing programs and is a proven winner. On top of that she fits in perfectly with the culture that we are building in our softball program. She is going to do great things at Northwestern State and we are excited to have her and her family here.”

Fuller spent the past three seasons at Pittsburg State where she won more than 100 games, produced four all-Americans, six academic all-Americans, seven all-region players and 18 all-conference players during her tenure.

“I would like to thank Kevin Bostian, the search committee, and President Genovese for the opportunity to coach the Demon softball team,” Fuller said. “We look forward to creating a winning softball culture and once again returning this team to the championship ranks.

“My family and I are excited about our move here, and we look forward to being involved in the many opportunities this university and community offer.”

In 2024 the Gorillas claimed a share of the MIAA regular season crown for just the second time in program history, coming 30 years after their first title, and set a program record with 53 wins, including an impressive 23-3 mark in conference play.

Fuller increased Pittsburg State’s win total by 10 from the previous season in her first year (2022), led them to their first winning season in six years the next and became the first head coach to win 50 games in a season. The Gorillas also hosted an NCAA Division II National Tournament regional for the first time in program history in 2024.

The Gorillas led the conference in six offensive categories on the year, including ranking fifth nationally with a .348 team batting average and 11th nationally with a .409 on-base percentage. Gorilla pitchers also led the league in strikeouts and ranked in the top five in the conference in four other categories.

PSU produced a pair individual award winners on the season with Heather Arnett, a consensus first-team all-American, being named Regional Player of the Year and MIAA Co-Player of the Year. Fuller used her expertise as a pitcher at Baylor for former NSU assistant Glenn Moore to guide freshman Ava Laurent to a 19-1 record, 8.3 strikeout/7 rate and MIAA Freshman of the Year honors as well.

“NSU is a very special place,” Moore said. “If a special leader is put in place, lives will be changed and the wins will come. Hiring Jenny Fuller assures this will happen. She is the perfect fit for NSU and Natchitoches. She and Brad (Fuller) are gifted at loving and leading young people. The community will embrace them quickly and they will rebuild NSU softball. Get your season tickets and jambalaya.”

In her three seasons at PSU, the Gorillas batted over .300 each year, improving by nearly 50 points from year one to year three. They also saw notable decreases in team ERA from the pitching staff, dropping by nearly three full runs per game with a 66-point drop in opponent batting average.

The team records set at Pittsburg State were just the latest in a list of program records established under Fuller’s direction.

Prior to her time with the Gorillas, she spent three seasons at Northern State in Aberdeen, S.D., where 17 different single game, season or career records were broken by players under her guidance. In 2020, the Wolves won their first 10 games of the season and had a program-best 15-4 record before the season was canceled due to Covid-19.

In her first season there, Northern State finished with the second highest team batting average in program history at the time, and the first average over .300 in two decades.

Fuller’s first head coaching job came at NAIA-member Cardinal Stritch in Milwaukee, Wis., in 2016. There she compiled a 59-36 record in two seasons including a 30-13 mark in her first season.

In nine seasons as a collegiate head coach Fuller has a 249-171 (.593) record.

She began her coaching career as an assistant and pitching coach at her junior college alma mater McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas. She helped coach a pair of first-team all-conference pitchers and six other all-conference players. McLennan advanced to the 2011 NJCAA National Championship and in 2014 won the Region V North Conference title with a record of 46-8.

As a player for the Highlanders, Fuller was an NFCA First-Team All-American and NJCAA Second-Team All-American during her two seasons. She tallied a 29-6 record with a 0.97 ERA and 285 strikeouts during her sophomore season to earn Region V Pitcher of the Year honors.

In her final two playing seasons at Baylor, Fuller set a top 10 mark for single-season winning percentage with an 11-3 record during 2008 and has the second highest career winning percentage in program history at .813.

Fuller earned her associate degree in arts and business from McLennan and a bachelor of science in education and master of science in sport management from Baylor.

Jenny and her husband, Brad, have a daughter, Emma.

Anderson’s Produce announced their last day this season is Saturday, July 27. Make sure you get over there and get the last of this season’s veggies. Anderson’s celebrated their 25th anniversary earlier this summer. 

Community HealthWays and LSU Ag Center will sponsor an Indoor Health & Resource Fair Thursday, August 1 from 10am until 2pm at the 4-H Building in Grand Cane. Along with health screenings, there will be door prizes, food and school supply giveaways. This event is free to the community. For more information contact Maria Bourgeois at 318.658.6409 or Erin Stockton at 318.872.0533.

The DeSoto Parish Library Board of Control is considering changing the library’s operational hours. The proposed change would shift closing time from 6:00 PM to 5:00 PM at all locations. The new operating hours would be Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Saturday, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Your opinion matters. Please share your valuable feedback at the following link: https://forms.gle/NHNpe8cAYrs7AYsE8

On Saturday, August 10th, Mansfield State Historic Site will host “Life Between the Battles” from 10am to 3pm. Visitors will have the opportunity to observe how soldiers lived during the long stretches of time between engagements. Taste the hardtack and coffee that made up a soldier’s daily fare, hear the sound of musketry during battle drills, and feel the weight of the wool uniforms that soldiers wore year-round.

Mildred Norwood Gentry
July 30, 1955 — July 21, 2024
Service: Saturday, July 27, 2024 at 11am at Rose Neath Funeral Homes – Mansfield

Mack Hudson Jr.
September 4, 1992 — July 14, 2024
Service: Saturday, July 27, 2024 at 11:00 am at Mary Evergreen Baptist Church – Grand Cane

Byron Harris Sr.
November 15, 1973 — July 18, 2024
Service: Saturday, July 27, 2024 at 11am at Summer Hill Baptist Church – Evelyn

Roderick Gilliam Sr.
February 13, 1969 — July 21, 2024
Service: Saturday, July 27, 2024 at 12pm at Zion Hill No.1 Baptist Church – Grand Cane 

Ruthie Wrigley
May 12, 1943 — July 19, 2024
Service: Saturday, July 27, 2024 at  2pm at Jenkins Funeral Home Chapel – Mansfield

(BATON ROUGE, LA) – The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) will release LEAP results for the 2023-24 school year Wednesday, July 24 at 10 a.m. State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley will hold a virtual presentation at that time.

Louisiana students have improved two straight years on LEAP, including the largest year-over-year gains since 2016. LEAP measures proficiency in English/language arts (ELA), math, science, and social studies for grades 3-12. Student scores are reported on five levels: Unsatisfactory, Approaching Basic, Basic, Mastery, or Advanced. Students scoring Mastery and Advanced are considered proficient, or ready for the next grade level without the need for remediation or additional support.

Social studies results will not be available this year because the LDOE is developing an assessment for Louisiana’s new Freedom Framework social studies standards. The operational social studies test will occur in the spring of 2025.

More information will be shared later this week after scores are released. 

Louisiana Supreme Court Justice James T. “Jimmy” Genovese was introduced Tuesday in Natchitoches as the 21st president of Northwestern State University. The event is archived on the university website, nsula.edu, and the Facebook/NorthwesternStateUniversity page.

Since the retirement of longtime President Dr. Randall J. Webb in 2014, in each of the following presidential searches, the NSU Alumni Association has endorsed a candidate. After the recent semi finalist interviews, the Association’s board of directors called a special meeting to discuss and voted to endorse the finalist.

Traditionally, the Alumni Association president participates on the search committee which gives us a line of sight into the entire search process. Current Alumni Association President Leah Sherman Middlebrook of Bossier City served in that role in this search.

“The following resolution shows our strong support for the new president. We are excited about his vision and leadership,” she said.

A Resolution of Endorsement by the Northwestern State University Alumni Association of The Honorable James Genovese, J.D., for the Position of President of Northwestern State University;

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Northwestern State University Alumni Association has reviewed and evaluated the finalists selected by the ULS NSU Presidential Search Committee for the position of President of Northwestern State University in connection with the search for this position which is being conducted by the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System;

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Northwestern State University Alumni Association believe that the qualifications and credentials possessed by the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., place him in a position to be the best choice to serve as the next President of Northwestern State University, for reasons to include:

1.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., has a distinguished record of accomplishment and demonstrated leadership skills at all of his levels of public service for over four decades, including his current tenure as Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court;

2.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., has a leadership style that is collaborative, consultative, open, and transparent, balanced by a record of strong leadership and a willingness to make tough decisions;

3.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., has an appreciation and understanding that the interests of the students are paramount;

4.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., possesses impeccable integrity;

5.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., has an appreciation of the values and objectives of our alma mater which includes a dedication to quality teaching and scholarship, as well as a commitment to enhance the academic profile and reputation of the university;

6.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., recognizes the importance of attracting, recruiting, and developing excellent administrators, and a commitment to building a strong, collaborative leadership team;

7.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., has a commitment to recruit and retain a highly qualified faculty;

8.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., has an appreciation and understanding of the unique quality of life issues for a Northwestern student, including an appreciation for the arts, history, and unique culture of the area;

9.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., has a commitment to supporting and embracing the unique characteristics of our university and university community;

10.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., will work effectively with the Board of Supervisors and implement the board’s policies;

11.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., has a proven ability to communicate effectively at all levels, to include faculty, staff, students, families, alumni, legislators, community leaders and other external constituents, as well as to maintain strong professional relations with elected officials and higher educational leadership;

12.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., has a strong commitment to athletics, and it is specifically noted that he was a Demon athlete and letter winner as a member and leader of the Northwestern tennis team;

13.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., will take a prominent and sustained role in fund raising to expand the university’s resource base, additions to endowments, gifts for facilities, scholarships and financial support for our faculty and staff; and

14.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., will foster an environment of optimism, creativity, and innovation.

WHEREAS, after considering the applicants for the position of President of Northwestern State University, the Board of Directors of the Northwestern State University Alumni Association has elected to endorse the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., as the next President of Northwestern State University

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Directors of the Northwestern State University Alumni Board hereby endorse the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., as the next President of Northwestern State University, and respectfully request the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System to select the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., as the next President of Northwestern State University.
After consideration of this Resolution at a special meeting of the Board of Directors of the Northwestern State University Alumni Board of Directors held on the 17th day of July, 2024, on the motion by Joseph B. Stamey, and seconded by Dr. Hayward Hargrove, Jr., and John R. Evans, to adopt the Resolution, a record vote was taken and the following result was had:

The Board of Directors voted unanimously in favor of the Resolution to endorse The Honorable James Genovese, J.D. as President of Northwestern State University.

THUS, UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED at a special meeting of the Board of Directors of the Northwestern State University Alumni Board of Directors held on the 17th day of July, 2024.

ATTEST: Leah Sherman Middlebrook NSU Alumni President.

(This article is a paid message on behalf of the NSU Alumni Association)

Olympics News hot of the press: 

There was a danger that our world-class American athletes competing in the 2024 Summer Games from Paris might not have air-conditioning.

No one loves the “good ol’ days” more than me. AM radio and Tammy Wynette. Screen doors. Front porches. Movies with dialogue. The only travel ball was in the major leagues.

Old days were the best — EXCEPT for automatic banking, streaming channels, and air-conditioning. And the leadoff hitter of those three is AC.

Has to be. Game-changer. 

So why no AC in Paris at the Olympics?

If you are an American who enjoys, even celebrates, seeing our country win at anything, and if you are an American who is spoiled rotten when it comes to air-conditioning, this less-than-thrilling and less-than-chilling news that our athletes might have to sleep in a France toaster is enough to make you break out in a cold sweat. 

Or a hot sweat. (Sometimes I get my sweats confused.)

The Games open today with football (we call it soccer), rugby sevens (no idea), handball (some idea but not really), archery (some idea: cowboy movies when I was little), shooting (pretty good idea, unfortunately, since I can read a newspaper), and Friday, FINALLY, the Opening Ceremony and badminton (some idea: church camp) and rowing (some idea: fishing).

If you miss the start, not an issue. We still have two wonderful weeks of swimming, diving, fencing, gymnasticsing, boxing, taekwondoing, cycling, weightlifting, pentathloning, “modern” pentathloning, basketballing, canoe sprinting (what the …?), sport climbing, running, jumping, and watching Coca-Cola and Visa commercials.

And, if the Americans are lucky, sleeping between winning golds.

Sleeping during a period of competition is no side chick or fling. Sleeping is part of who brought you to the party. Sleeping is your Main Thang. Gotta sleep.

This notion escaped the French.

They’d decided years ago that these Games would be the most eco-friendly and “greenest” ever, which his fine. Their plan to cut in half the carbon footprint of a “normal” Olympics was admirable — right up until the architects insisted that their non-AC, “energy-efficient geothermal cooling system” of water and pipes and wishes would keep the athletes’ rooms no warmer than 26 Celsius — which is a sultry 79 Fahrenheit in Indoor America.

To which the American coaches and athletes said, “NEG!”

The high temp in Paris during July and August averages 78. Child’s play for the American southerner, for sure. BUT …

We are a habit-driven people. I grew up in a two-story that had a window unit downstairs and a window that opened upstairs. Slept great. But once the world introduced us to central air, nighttime became a different ballgame. 

In rural America, we got used to AC. Really fast.

Expand that rationale for the world-class athlete who has slept at a certain temperature nearly their whole lives in preparation for the Olympics, the most important “athletic days” of their lives. The “optimal bedroom sleep micro-environment” for the Team USA competitor, one of our team physiologists told yahoo!/sports, is 61-65 degrees.

So when the Paris mayor insisted Olympic Village athletes would be “very comfortable” at “no warmer than 79,” athletes from the USA, Canada, Italy, Brazil, Greece, Japan, Australia and the like said, “Comfortable compared to WHAT?”

So those countries have either brought their own portable air-conditioners or are renting ones the French organizers have made available. No one wanted to come off as a spoiled or ungrateful visitor: they just didn’t want to be sweating in their PJs on the eve of running the 100. 

Many countries — Germany, Tonga, Samoa, plus the Swiss and French come to mind — don’t need or aren’t used to AC. They’re chill without it.

To each his own.

And that’s the point. We really are creatures of habit. Hey, the French gave us chocolate and perfume and the beret and fries. They meant no harm with the AC thing. But if the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre were in Kansas or Richmond or Shreveport, you can bet your last shred of Brie or Roquefort that they’d be air-conditioned. Set around 68, at the highest.

Have a great (and cool) Olympics!

(PS — the diff between the “pentathlon” and the “modern pentathlon”?; the modern one is air-conditioned.)

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu