North DeSoto High announced that the Skills USA national competition has begun. The school posted, “We are proud of our competitors and looking forward to seeing how they do. So far they have finished orientation, attended the meet and greet and now ready for Customer Service competition.”
Funeral services celebrating the life of Patricia Gannon, 84, of Logansport, Louisiana will be at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at Kilpatrick’s Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 943 Polk Street, Mansfield, Louisiana. Officiating the service will be Rev. Dale Gannon and Rev. Jerry Gannon. Interment will follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Logansport, Louisiana. Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 20, 2023, at the funeral home.
Patricia was born July 3, 1938, in Logansport, Louisiana, to Ralph and Avis Messick and passed away at home on Saturday, June 17, 2023.
Preceding Patricia in death were her husband, Dan Gannon; her sons, Dan E. Gannon, Jr. and David Scott Gannon; sister, Margaret Heard, and parents, Ralph and Avis Messick.
Left behind to cherish her memory are her daughter, Dana Myers and husband, Mike; daughter-in-law, Connie Gannon; grandchildren, Angela Daughtry and husband, David, David Myers, Scotty Gannon and wife, Heather, Daniel Gannon, Jesse Gannon, Sam Gannon and wife, Mallory, Sarah DeLeon and husband, Mark; great grandchildren, Michael, Daisy, and Ethan Daughtry, Zack and Drew Gannon, Erin and Daniel Gannon, Danny Spears, Bryan and Maddie Norwood, Mallory DeLeon, and Maelie Gannon, and a host of nieces, nephews and friends.
Honoring Patricia as pallbearers will be Scotty Gannon, Zack Gannon, Sam Gannon, Jesse Gannon, Daniel Gannon, and Mark DeLeon. Honorary pallbearers will be Danny Love, Gary Seago, Cecil Seago, Bob Heard and Johnny Gannon.
The family would like to thank Karen Campbell and Inda Myers, and Hospice staff, Stuart and Marsha for their loving care.
Patricia Ann Gannon
July 3, 1938 — June 17, 2023
Funeral services will be at 2:00 pm Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at Kilpatrick’s Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 943 Polk Street, Mansfield, Louisiana.
Brenda Heard Bruner Moerchen
August 4, 1950 — June 9, 2023
A memorial was held Saturday, June 17, at 10:00 am at Eastside Missionary Baptist Church in Minden.
The DeSoto Parish Journal publishes “Remembrances of Loved Ones” with unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $70. The Remembrance will be included in the emails sent to subscribers. Contact your funeral provider or DeSotoParishJournal@gmail.com. Must be paid in advance of publication.
North DeSoto water update (boil advisory) from ND Water: A boil advisory is effect until further notice. The system has been operating on backup water supply and asks customers to be mindful of usage. This is as of earlier this week.
The Stonewall branch of the parish library said the next Swapportunity will be the first Wednesday in July. The library posted, “We will be creating an awesome 4th of July craft.”
Clara Springs Camp reminded everyone “we can’t wait to see you Friday for the June Fourth Friday Fish Fry. Grand Cane Baptist Church will be the hosts.
Mansfield Elementary School’s After-School Dance Program and Fancy Feet Dance School 2.0 have been invited to participate in the 2023 Mansfield Juneteenth Parade Saturday, June 24, 2023. The Float is Open to the 2023 MES After-School Dance Program and Dance Teams from the Mansfield Elementary Talent Show and Dance Review.
Participants must pre-register to receive Tee-Shirts for the Parade. The deadline is Friday, June 16, 2023. The Parade Route will begin at the Old Wal-Mart Location and proceed to Downtown Mansfield. Students are to arrive at the location by 10:00 am and the Procession begins at 11:00.
The DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office is assisting the City of Mansfield Police in locating a suspect involved in an early morning shooting that took place in Mansfield just before 6am today. We are seeking information from the public who may have knowledge of the suspect or can assist in bringing him to justice. Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 for any information that leads to an arrest, and you can provide this information 100% anonymously.
ZAMIR KESHUN MASSEY (Black Male, 19 years old, from Mansfield) is currently being sought on charges of SECOND DEGREE MURDER and ATTEMPTED SECOND DEGREE MURDER. Massey stands 5’11” tall at approximately 138 pounds. (See attached photo) If spotted, contact 911 immediately and do not attempt to approach the suspect. You may also reach out to the Mansfield Police Department regarding this case, as it took place in the City of Mansfield.
This is an ongoing investigation, and no further details will be provided from our agency at this time.
By Brad Dison
Willie Johnson was born on January 25, 1897. His poor sharecropper parents struggled to survive off of what they grew in the poor earth in Pendleton, Texas. At some point, Willie and his family moved to a farm with far better soil near Marlin, Texas. When Willie was five years old, his father got Willie a homemade cigar box guitar. Willie quickly learned to play the cheap instrument. According to Willie’s widow, when Willie was seven years old, his father and stepmother got into a physical altercation allegedly over Willie’s stepmother’s infidelities. During the brawl, Willie’s stepmother was holding a caustic solution of lye water. As Willie’s father and stepmother fought, the caustic solution splashed into Willie’s eyes and completely blinded him. From that moment on, he was known as Blind Willie Johnson.
Blind Willie’s lack of sight made working in the fields nearly impossible. Blind Willie sang and played his guitar while his family worked in the fields. In a way, Blind Willie helped more with his voice and guitar than he would have if he had not been blinded. His songs kept up morale in the fields and set the pace for planting and harvesting crops. In his twenties, Blind Willie began playing a Stella brand guitar and singing religious songs on the street corners of Marlin, Texas. He tied a tin cup to the neck of his guitar. Upon hearing the unmistakable clink of a coin or coins dropping into his tin cup, Blind Willie gave an appreciative nod and a smile.
In December 1927, a talent scout set up a makeshift recording studio for Columbia Records in Dallas, Texas. The scout had heard of Blind Willie’s talent and invited him to a recording session. On that cool December day, Blind Willie recorded six songs including “Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground.” Columbia initially released two songs from Blind Willie’s session “I Know His Blood Can Make Me Whole,” and “Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed.” Selling more than 15,000 copies, Blind Willie’s first record sold more than Columbia’s most established star, Bessie Smith. With the success of his first record, Columbia’s talent scout brought Blind Willie in for four more recording sessions between 1927 and 1930. In total, Blind Willie completed 30 songs. Blind Willie’s rise to stardom seemed to be assured until the Great Depression left most of his fans with no spare money for buying records. Blind Willie’s professional music career ended with little fanfare. Sadly, Blind Willie Johnson and his recordings are largely forgotten today. Although sales of his first record far exceeded expectations, he was far from reaching the required $1 million from the sale of at least 500,000 units for the Recording Industry Association of America to award Blind Willie a gold record.
In August and September 1977, NASA launched two robotic interstellar probes named Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. Both space probes carried numerous instruments for recording a wide array of measurements, taking photographs, recording audio, and transmitting that information back to scientists on Earth. Also included on the space probes were two phonograph records which contained over a hundred imprinted images which displayed different aspects of life on Earth as well as the sounds of frogs, crickets, volcanoes, laughter, a human heartbeat, footsteps, animal sounds, 27 pieces of music, and greetings in 59 languages. Etched onto each record were pictures showing how to play the sound recordings and how to retrieve the photos using equipment which was located near the records on the space probes. NASA included this information to show the diversity of life and culture on Earth in the event that they come into contact with an advanced alien civilization. Voyager 1 is traveling at over 38,000 miles per hour and has reached a distance of 14.8 billion miles from Earth. Voyager 2 is traveling at over 34,000 miles per hour and has reached 12.4 billion miles from Earth. At their current trajectories, it will take another 14,000 to 28,000 years before Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 will exit our Solar System.
Although Blind Willie Johnson never earned a gold record on Earth, he certainly earned a gold record in space. His recording of “Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground” is one of the 27 songs included on the gold-plated “The Sounds of Earth” record which is still traveling through space. Perhaps one day in the distant future, in a galaxy far away, one of the first sounds an advanced alien civilization will hear from our small planet will be that of Blind Willie Johnson. “The Sounds of Earth” records can remain playable for more than 1 billion years.
Sources:
Major Cyber Attack at OMV Vendor, Louisianans Should Act Urgently to Protect Their Identities
Louisiana’s Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) is one of a still undetermined number of government entities, major businesses and organizations to be affected by the unprecedented MOVEit data breach.
MOVEit is an industry-leading third party data transfer service used to send large files. It is widely used across the country and around the world, and reports are rapidly emerging of newly discovered exposures of sensitive data in this major international cyber attack.
There is no indication at this time that cyber attackers who breached MOVEit have sold, used, shared or released the OMV data obtained from the MOVEit attack. The cyber attackers have not contacted state government. But all Louisianans should take immediate steps to safeguard their identity.
OMV believes that all Louisianans with a state-issued driver’s license, ID, or car registration have likely had the following data exposed to the cyber attackers:
Gov. John Bel Edwards met with the Unified Command Group at 11 a.m. Thursday to be briefed on the incident, where he instructed the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP), Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV), Louisiana State Police (LSP), and the Office of Technology Services (OTS) to act to inform Louisianans of the breach and their best next steps as soon as possible.
We recommend all Louisianans take the following steps immediately:
Individuals can freeze and unfreeze their credit for free, which stops others from opening new accounts and borrowing money in your name. Freezing your credit does not prevent the use of any existing credit cards or bank accounts. Freezing your credit may be done quickly online or by contacting the three major credit bureaus by phone:
|
Experian |
Equifax |
TransUnion |
Please also request and review your credit report from these agencies to look for suspicious activity.
As an additional precaution, consider changing all passwords for online accounts (examples: banking, social media, and healthcare portals) in the event your personal data was used to access these accounts. Utilize multi-factor authentication when able. Learn more about password protection at www.CISA.gov.
To prevent someone else from filing returns or receiving your federal tax refund, request an “Identity Protection Pin” from the Internal Revenue Service by signing up at: https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/get-an-identity-protection-pin or calling the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.
All individuals who are eligible, applied for, and/or are receiving social security benefits (including disability), please consider registering for a ssa.gov account at https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/ to stop others from stealing your benefits. If you suspect Social Security fraud, call the Office of Inspector General hotline at 1-800-269-0271, Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 or file a complaint online at oig.ssa.gov.
If you suspect any abnormal activity involving your data, including financial information, contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP or visit www.ReportFraud.FTC.govimmediately.
The State of Louisiana will be issuing additional information in the coming days. Additional tips on protecting your data and identity can be found at nextsteps.la.gov and www.IdentityTheft.gov.
Join us at Back Alley Community Theatre and hold on to your hoverboards, we’re taking a trip Back to the 80s! When modern teen Mary Fitzfry gets sent back in time by an eccentric professor, she finds herself in the middle of a totally tubular cavalcade of 80s pop culture. There’s a lot of familiar faces, from the teens in breakfast-time detention to the guys chasing ghosts and dancing zombies, but the biggest surprise of all is Mary’s own protective mom as a teen. Turns out she’s actually kind of rad – but thanks to Mary’s time travel, she’s in trouble. Can Mary make things right? This adventure takes you from the mall where everything happens, to a suburban sitcom street, to a cave under the high school – and you can choose who to feature from a flexible throng of characters to bring your audience maximum nostalgia. A hilarious parody to make all ages cheer “I love the 80s!”
Show times are June 23 and 24 at 6:00 pm and June 25 at 2:00 pm.
Tickets are $10 and available HERE
This week Sheriff Jayson Richardson announced that the DeSoto Sheriff Youth Hunting Skills Camp has returned for 2023! Here is what you need to know:
If you would like to sign your child up for this amazing opportunity, jump on over to the DeSoto Parish Sheriff App, click on “Forms & Tips” and fill out the “Sign-Up Form” today.
By Steve Graf
In the world of sports, they say competition makes everybody better. It brings out the best in an athlete who has a competitive fire trying to earn his spot on the team. But in the world of tournament bass fishing, this may not be the case. While having too many athletes is usually not a problem, having too many fishing circuits can be. Today, anglers are faced with a plethora of bass trails to follow. Let’s take a look at the factors that help an angler decide what they are going to fish and why.
In our part of the country, we call the Ark-La-Tex, the issue of what to fish has reared its ugly head. Anglers in this region have no shortage of tournament trails to choose from. But as we all know, there are basically only four weekends in a month and anglers are having to pick and choose what trails they want to follow. So just how many trails are there? At my last count, I came up with 17 different organizations, all of which offer great incentives to fish. So how do anglers today decide what trail or trails they are going to follow?
It usually comes down to economics and the costs involved. First, anglers look at what lakes the trail is going to. Next, they look at how far the destination is for each tournament. Are the tournaments close to home or will they have to travel hours for each event? What’s the entry fee for each event? Higher level tournament trails usually require higher entry fees. Fees can range from $200 up to $1500 depending on the circuit. Other factors include how much it will cost for hotel or private accommodations, food expenses, and gasoline costs for both the truck and the boat.
Then they look at how competitive do they think they can be in a particular circuit. Can they realistically compete with the anglers fishing a specific trail? This is a major factor since some trails draw a higher level of fishermen than others. Every angler just wants to be competitive or at least have a decent shot at collecting a check to help offset expenses.
With all this being said, there are presently 17 bass fishing tournament trails in this region and there are just not enough fishermen to go around. One thing that continues to set all tournament circuits apart is what is called “guaranteed” payback. This means that if a trail is offering $20,000 guaranteed for first place, anglers tend to flock to that kind of payback rather than a circuit that’s offering $20,000 based on the “number of boats” that show up. Guaranteed tournaments will always outdraw a tournament that has a payback based on the number of boats.
So, what circuits will probably survive out of the 17 offered? It’s hard to say because each one has its own dedicated group of anglers that will stay loyal. It’s not necessarily the tournament trail they’re loyal to, but rather it’s the tournament director. Tournament directors who take the time to get to know their anglers and build a relationship stand a greater chance of their circuit surviving. Anglers can be a very loyal bunch, but only if they enjoy the trail they are fishing and feel a connection to the director. However, one thing is clear. Not all 17 tournament trails will survive. There are simply just not enough weekends in a month for all of them to make it. Till next time, good luck, good fishing, and don’t forget your sunscreen and good protective clothing.
The Stonewall branch of the parish library invites everyone to come meet some of Sarah Greer’s pets on June 22nd. Bring the kids and enjoy the day.
Pets at the Library is being coordinated by Mrs. Kathryn Bobbitt, the Children’s Librarian. Get more info from her at 318-925-9191.
Sci-Port Discovery Center made a second visit to Logansport Library this week. Mr. Kenny held the children’s attention as he presented the Weather Works Program.
He explained to the children how air pressure in our atmosphere works. Mr. Kenny demonstrated how evaporation and condensation work in the water cycle to make rain. He may have gotten a couple of our patrons wet.
Children also learned that lightning and thunder actually happen simultaneously, in the same place at the same time. The library said, “Thank you Mr. Kenny for making science fun.”
Billie Jo “Butch” Timmons, 57, of Logansport, Louisiana passed peacefully from this life to the next on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at her home surrounded by family.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, June 15, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. with funeral services at 11:00 a.m. at Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, Stanley, Louisiana. Interment will follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery. Bro. Thomas Brock will be officiating the service.
Butch was born to J.B. and Susan Sibley on November 27, 1965, in Mansfield, Louisiana. She spent her early years growing up in the small Village of Stanley. The youngest of six children, she was always looked at as the Baby. Which is probably one of the reasons she was “affectionately” called “Baby Donkey”, along with a lot of other names, by her sister Anita.
She married Eugene Timmons on May 27, 1995. They lived together in Longstreet. After a brief run as a hairdresser, she became a housewife and mother to two wonderful children, E.J. and Abbi, who she loved cooking blackberry pie and dumplings for and taking care of. Along with E.J. and Abbi, she had a host of other children that she babysat over the years that she loved and claimed as her own.
Butch was always a loving and caring daughter and sister. After the passing of her father, J.B., and sister, Rhonda, she spent much of her time trying to get her momma not to work herself silly in the yard. Which by the way is no small task. She always made her sure pills were in order and her checkbook was balanced.
She was a faithful member of Longstreet Baptist Church and was there anytime the church needed help. Her family is thankful for their prayers, along with many other family and friends, as she fought this battle. And fight she did, right to the very end. If she was here now, as Abbi will tell you, she would tell you “Don’t cry for me, I’m walking with Jesus, along with J.B. and Rhonda!”
Preceding Butch in death is her father, James Sibley; sister, Rhonda Hudspeth; father-in-law, Harold Timmons; nephew, Heath Sepulvado; and brother-in-law, Ray Woodall.
Left to cherish her memory is her mother, Susan Sibley; husband, Eugene Timmons; son, E.J. Timmons; daughter, Abbi Timmons; mother-in-law, Betty Timmons; siblings, Bubba Sibley and wife Jesse, Jackie Sepulvado and husband, Davis, Penny Shepherd, Anita Dockens, and husband, Kevin; brothers-in-law, Ryan Hudspeth and Larry Timmons; and sisters-in law, Wanda Scruggs and Brenda Woodall.
Honoring Butch as pallbearers Brodie Sibley, Charles Rutherford, Mackenzie Dockens, Gary Wayne Timmons, Witt Dockens, and Cliff Chinault. Honorary pallbearers will be Kevin Dockens, Richard Scruggs, Ryan Hudspeth, and Larry Timmons.
Billie “Butch” Timmons
November 27, 1965 — June 13, 2023
Funeral services were at 11:00 am on Thursday, June 15, 2023, at Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, Stanley, Louisiana.
Brenda Heard Bruner Moerchen
August 4, 1950 — June 9, 2023
A memorial will be held Saturday, June 17, at 10:00 am at Eastside Missionary Baptist Church in Minden.
The DeSoto Parish Journal publishes “Remembrances of Loved Ones” with unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $70. The Remembrance will be included in the emails sent to subscribers. Contact your funeral provider or DeSotoParishJournal@gmail.com. Must be paid in advance of publication.
The local Parish Health Unit will be closed June 16, 2023 in observance of Juneteenth and will reopen on June 19th with normal hours from 8AM-4:30PM.
The 10th annual Juneteenth celebration in Mansfield will be June 23rd and 24th.
South DeSoto Water System said, “For the customers on the WPA road from Nubbin Ridge road west to LA. 481… We will be replacing a section of the main line in front of Mrs. Billy Lums house due to the oil field road being put in. The work was scheduled for 6/13/2023. The water will be off until the work can be completed, after the water is back on you will be under a boil advisory until it is tested by LDH.
The DeSoto Chamber of Commerce has received a list of grants that are available for Local Fire Services, Law Enforcement, Economic Development, Education and Healthcare from Congresswoman Julia Letlow. If you would like information, please contact the chamber at 872-1310.
In January of 2023, Sheriff Jayson Richardson unveiled a new project in DeSoto Parish called “Friends of the Sheriff” that would help to better serve those in our community living with Special Needs. We are now excited to announce that Sheriff Richardson has been working with State Representative Larry Bagley and Senator Barry Milligan to secure funding our program State-Wide! With their partnership, Sheriff Richardson has managed to secure nearly $300,000 to go toward this program and other public safety projects. Our office is ready and willing to work with other agencies to provide the necessary components, including graphics and decals, to ensure the project is a success across the State of Louisiana. This is just another achievement towards serving our Special Needs community with compassion, yielded from Sheriff Richardson’s Bringing Joye Program launched in 2018!
For those not familiar with how the “Friends of the Sheriff” program works, it is pretty simple. In the event of a fire, traffic stop, accident, or otherwise, deputies sometimes encounter someone sensitive to loud noises, bright lights, deaf, or non-verbal, and that person may require special attention. If you or someone in your household is living with Special Needs, you can drop by the Sheriff’s Office to fill out a short form and receive decals for your vehicles. The decals serve as a visual for first responders before approaching a vehicle, to help them better serve those living with Special Needs. The information you provide is logged into our dispatch software, therefore whenever there is an emergency first responders can be aware and prepared before arrival. We are super excited to have this program created here at the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office, now launching Statewide! Sheriff Richardson sends his sincerest gratitude to Senator Barry Milligan and Rep. Larry Bagley for championing this project through the State Legislature. We also send a huge thanks to our residents of DeSoto Parish for participating in this project, sharing the posts, and showing support for this wonderful program.
It was an exciting day at the Logansport Library last week. Jayson Rivers of the Choctaw-Apache Tribe of Ebarb and 3 members of the Rising Sun Youth Group paid a visit.
Mr. Rivers shared the history of the tribe and how the two tribes became one. He also shared the title of some of the member’s regalia and some facts about what each piece means and how it is used during ceremonies.
The youth group demonstrated the Seek and Find dance and the Friendship dance. The Library staff really appreciated the Tribe sharing their heritage.
By Teddy Allen
The 2023 College World Series begins Friday at Charles Schwab Field in “Omaha! Omaha!,” or, as our LSU friends like to say, Geauxmaha! (Is there no END to this “geaux” stuff?!)
Love or hate LSU, you have to admit — in any moment that passes for sanity, even among the LSU Haters out there — that the college game is better when LSU is good.
And this year, the Tigers are pretty good, or whatever phrase you’d wish to use to describe a team that wins 48 games, a Regional, a Super Regional, and winds up in Geauxmaha.
LSU is back for the first time since 2017, an eternity for Tiger fans. LSU most recently won it in 2009 and won four in seven seasons — 1991, ’93 (Airline High’s Todd Walker was the CWS Most Outstanding Player), and ’96-’97. If the Tigers can win this year, they’ll have seven all-time, second only to USC and one ahead of Texas.
A lot’s going on …
(For the whole story, read Everything Matters in Baseball: The Skip Bertman Story, by our old friend Glenn Guilbeau, (or Guilbeaux, if you prefer. Page 51 is my favorite because yours truly is on it, as is the song I wrote for Skip in 1989ish. Thank you, Glenn. Mighty fine book. Baseball coaches in Louisiana should send the Skipster chocolates every day; he was the difference that made the difference for college baseball in our state.)
So back in the summertime, we offered an Introduction to ‘Sports Talking’ and determined that The World of Sports has a language all its own, and that each individual sport has an even more specialized lingo. A field goal is different in football than in basketball. “Pin” is one thing in bowling and another in wrestling. A skater spins lots and lands; a second baseman spins once and throws.
And on like that.
We wrote about football (played by gridders on a gridiron) and basketball, or roundball, played with a rock, and how in hoops, foul trouble is when you are in danger of disqualification because you’ve done an extreme number of illegal things, not to be confused with foul trouble caused by sitting next to a fan who smells like an old sneaker, or fowl trouble, when the concession stand runs out of chicken tenders.
Now, let’s get ready for baseball or hardball, by introducing some everyday words that mean one thing in baseball (and sometimes, something else in real life).
A hose is an arm and if you throw fast and true, you have a hose. A good defender can flash the leather and has the good hands. Wheels are legs and good ones mean you are fast; no wheels mean you are no threat to steal or swipe a bag/base, but hopefully, you are not so terribly, horribly slow that you can’t score from third on a triple or even on a homer that leaves the yard/park.
Some of the CWS players had a chance out of high school to become bonus babies, or young players who sign for a big bonus payment on top of a salary. A bonus baby is also the second baby out of the womb when there are twins; triplets mean mom gets two bonus babies.
A cut fastball is a ball that breaks away from the arm that threw it; in other words, it breaks toward the pitcher’s glove-hand side. A cut fastball is also a fastball that wasn’t good enough to make the varsity.
A backdoor slider or backdoor breaker appears to the batter to be off the plate — right before it breaks over the plate and late. Bummer for the batter. (In real life, a backdoor slider it is one of us Baptists who used to attend church regularly but now gets to Sunday school late — if at all.)
A tater is a homer run; it’s also the nickname of the 5-9, 285-pound third baseman.
A twinbill is a doubleheader, a twin killing is a double play, and a twinbill killing is when a doubleheader gets rained out.
A yakker is a curveball, also called an Uncle Charlie — “Caught him looking at ol’ Uncle Chuck!” A yakker is also a female yak — a yak her — or one who hunts yaks, or a sick person who can’t keep their food down. A very good curveball hitter is a yakker whacker, sometimes called a yacker smacker.
If a player is on deck he is the next batter up after the one at the plate, and if a plyer is to bat after the batter on deck, he is said to be in the hole — although it began as in the hold, a nautical term like on deck is; in the hold is by definition just beneath the deck of a ship, as in the storage area. So, in baseball if you are on deck, then I am in the hold and batting after you. Nautical terms were common in the 1800s
when baseball started but things evolve, and “in the hold” is sadly gone forever; the great unwashed win again).
So … enjoy the CWS. “Let’s have a clue out there! Here we go! See you at the yard.
Ready BREAK!” Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu
From Joshua Salley at the LSU Parish Extension Office:
We are excited to welcome Mrs. Erin Stockton to the DeSoto Parish Extension Office. Erin is our new Family and Consumer Sciences Agent for the LSU AgCenter in DeSoto and Bossier Parishes. Erin will be working with the Flavors of Health program here in DeSoto and in Bossier Parish. She will also handle SNAP-ED programming in Bossier Parish. Some of the programs that Erin will be offering include healthy eating, pressure cooker testing, living with diabetes, and much more. Erin is a graduate of William Carey University in Hattiesburg, MS, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a minor in English. She is also a graduate of Louisiana Christian University where she earned a master’s degree in the Art of Teaching. Erin has been an educator for the past 18 years in MS and LA, with the past 13 years spent in Sabine Parish. She was actively involved in 4-H as a volunteer and sponsor while her children were in school. Erin is a life-long learner and educator, and she is looking forward to meeting the citizens of DeSoto Parish and sharing our nutrition programs with you.
By Nicole Tull
The Logansport Chamber of Commerce had their monthly meeting at the Logansport Library Monday evening, June 6th. Dinner was fried chicken from Brookshire Brothers with sides and watermelon provided by James and Beth Walker.
Tori Dyess has a new business joining the Chamber – Loco Gringo Hat Company. She does more than hats though, a banner made by her will be advertising the new Chamber building in downtown very soon. There will be renovations being made on the new Chamber building getting it ready for the Chamber of Commerce to be open for visitors.
President James Walker reminds everyone that the July 4th celebration on the river is coming up. The whole afternoon will have entertainment leading up to the fireworks display as night falls.
The last point of business was drawing for the door prize. Teresa Stephens won the gift card to Dairy Queen. There is no meeting for the month of July so the next meeting will be 6:00pm Tuesday, August 1st at the Logansport library.
The guest speaker at the Lions Club last week was fellow Lion, the Honorable Nicholas Gasper, who is one of our District Judges. Judge Gasper caught us up on the status and timetable for the Brian Horne case which will be re-tried at our Parish Courthouse here in Mansfield, La. Judge Amy McCarthy and the Prosecutors are all down in Vernon Parish for Jury Selection. Those Jurors will be sequestered here during the week’s long trial.
In other business the Club voted to donate their usual yearly sum to the Lions Camp in Leesville AND a substantial amount to the Lions Foundation. Those things along with increased membership, community projects such as eyeglass recycling and roadside trash pickup have the Mansfield Lions again in line to receive the Club Excellence Award!
The Lions meet every second and fourth Tuesday for a catered lunch at the Clista A. Calhoun Center and you are welcome to come by and enjoy the food and the company and the networking.
By Royal Alexander
I have often pondered the principles of marketing.
Whether we are talking about McDonalds, Coca Cola, the NFL, Target, or Anheuser-Busch—and its previously popular Bud Light beer—I would think the most important consideration would be to successfully target (no pun intended) the most likely consumers of the product and then do everything to gain, keep and increase the greatest market share possible.
In other words, as has always been the case in the corporate world before the “social justice” and Woke movements, the fundamental fiduciary duty to shareholders was to maximize profits. Period.
Well, corporate America has changed, and not for the better.
What we are seeing and hearing as Target, Anheuser-Busch, and others lose billions and irreparably damage their brands is the economic “roar” of millions of Americans that we will no longer accept corporate elites shoving cultural imperialism down our throats.
Millions of tolerant, patriotic Americans have finally said enough– “stop force feeding us liberal sexual orthodoxy.”
As a result of these boycotts, Target and Anheuser-Busch have now lost a combined $40.8 billion in market value over their LGBTQ Pride-focused marketing campaigns. (S. Perry. The Daily Signal, 6-6-23). In short, they are bleeding value with no end in sight.
Why have American consumers responded in this way?
Because we’re sick of being bombarded by and graphically exposed to—and we are way past being asked to merely accept alternative lifestyles—“Pride” and transgenderism.
We fundamentally reject the idea that young children are prepared to receive or process any information about human sexuality or have even the slightest capacity to decide—often without their parent’s knowledge—whether they should amputate their own bodies at age 6 because a boy may think for a while that he’s a girl.
Or be forced to tolerate Target’s policy of allowing our young daughters to be followed into the girl’s bathroom by a full-grown man who “identifies” as a woman.
Or the farce that biological men who are “transitioning” to “female” can fairly be allowed to compete against biological females.
Well, the roof blew off when Target “released nationwide Pride-focused merchandise targeting children, including ‘tuck friendly’ swimsuits for boys who identify as girls, but have not yet amputated their sexual organs. For good measure, it also offered kid-friendly products designed by a self-identified “trans Satanist.” (S. Perry, The Daily Signal, 6-6-23).
We really shouldn’t be surprised by Target’s action. After all, this is the same company that was caught partnering with an organization—the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)—that hides children’s gender transition from parents and advocates teaching gender ideology at all grade levels. (N. Silverio, Daily Caller, May 26, 2023).
So, why do millions of Americans object to such offensive products and messaging?
It’s because we reject the cold, sterile, and godless view of life, faith and family which distorts gender and biology beyond all recognition. Quite to the contrary, we view ourselves as made in the image and likeness of God and are the creation of the Creator who defined us, body and soul.
And we believe that while the two genders are morally equal in every sense, males and females are vastly different physiologically and acting as though they are the same is not only a Big Lie but it’s a cruelty to confuse the most vulnerable among us about themselves in order to advance a toxic ideology through chemical castration or genital mutilation in order to fill the bank accounts of doctors and hospitals who profit from the billion dollar Sex Change Industrial Complex. According to research, the U.S. sex reassignment surgery market size was estimated at $ 1.9 billion in 2021 and was expected to reach $2.1 billion in 2022.
That’s why parents are so concerned about the targeting of young adolescents on social media to confuse and then persuade them that they are transgender. Parents feel that their children are under siege, and as children have become more isolated and more tied to their telephone screens, there’s been an explosion of children identifying as transgender.
These children are vulnerable to messages that say their problems fitting in can be solved by recognizing that they were born in the wrong body. Tragically though, the puberty blockers and surgeries being handed out to adolescents will cause a lifetime of physical health problems which has led to laws against gender assignment surgery.
May the boycotts continue until this lesson is learned.
Brenda Heard Bruner Moerchen, 72, passed from this earth on Friday, June 9, 2023, in Mansfield, Louisiana.
Brenda was preceded in death by her parents, J.D. and Janice Heard and her beloved husband, Jim Moerchen.
Left to cherish her memory are her brother, Buddy Heard and wife Ann, her children; Tina Anderson and husband Brian, Dawn Bruner and special friend David Sanders, Matt Moerchen and wife Tori, and Brenda Moerchen-Martinez and husband Byron. She will also be missed by her grandchildren; Andrew Holford, Jordan Young, Riley Young, Tyler Anderson, Victoria Martinz, Carlos Milligan and Katelyn Daniel. She left 4 great grandchildren and many uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews and friends.
Brenda spent most of her life in Minden but lived in west Texas as a child. As an adult, she lived in Baton Rouge and Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. She met Jim in Shreveport and was willing to follow him anywhere. She enjoyed spending her time helping others and playing cards or dominoes with friends. She was a little competitive! In the last few months, she formed a special relationship with some ladies at Mansfield Nursing Center. They were known as the “Golden Girls.”
A memorial will be held Saturday, June 17, at 10:00 a.m. at Eastside Missionary Baptist Church in Minden. In lieu of flowers, Brenda wanted donations made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
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Join our team by applying and attending our job fair on Wednesday, June 26, 2023. We look forward to meeting you, and are excited to begin this journey with you!
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