Colder air is on the way into our region and will usher in cold gusty winds as well Thursday-Friday.  An advisory from the National Weather Service said the cold will remain anchored across our region through the Holiday Weekend.

Actions should be taken now in preparation for this bitterly cold arctic air.  However, the primary concern at this time will be the extreme cold with a prolonged period of below freezing temperatures into the Christmas weekend.

Weather.com is predicting morning lows Thursday near 12 degrees and Friday and Saturday 19 or 20 degrees.  After a cold 23 degree Sunday morning, a warming trend should begin after the first of next week. There is very little chance of rain after Thursday.

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This Week’s report covers a one week period as of 9:00 am Monday morning and includes of all arrests made in DeSoto Parish by the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office (DPSO), Mansfield Police Department (MPD), and Louisiana State Police (LSP.)

This report covers December 12-19, 2022

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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A funeral service celebrating the life of Margaret Rose Rosalis, 78, will be held at 2:00 PM, Sunday, December 18, 2022, at Kilpatrick’s Rose-Neath Funeral Home chapel with Reverend Ashanti Cole officiating. Interment will follow in Thomas Wren Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 4:00 PM until 9:00 PM, Saturday, December 17, 2022, at the funeral home.

Margaret was born on February 15, 1944, in Coushatta, LA to Lucky and Ruby Lee Rosalis and passed away December 15, 2022, in Colfax, LA. She was a homemaker for most of her life.

Margaret was preceded in death by her parents and two sons, Lynn Mangham and Arthur Mangham. Left to cherish her memory are her sons, Ben Mangham of Bastrop, LA, Thomas Mangham of Coushatta, LA, and Bob Mangham of Coushatta; sister, Betty Rosalis of DeQuincy, LA; brothers, Wayne Rosalis of Coushatta, LA, and Zeb Rosalis of Doyline, LA; three grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and other relatives and friends.

Honoring Margaret as pallbearers will be Joey Mangham. Ben Mangham, Will Breshers, Bobby Lafitte, Sr., Bobby Lafitte, Jr., and Blake Breshers.

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Recently the State Historic Site near Mansfield had a great time interacting with guests during the “Christmas on the Homefront” program.  Interpretive Ranger Aaron Gates’s molasses taffy and gingerbread cookies (both homemade and based on 19th century recipes) were a real hit, but guests judged his gingerbread cookies to be the scene stealer (sorry molasses taffy).

Thanks to all who took part!

Photo credit: jsd/Mansfield SHS

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There is a lot to celebrate at Mansfield High.  They achieved “A” school status.  The celebration lasted all week long.  This is in conjunction with the Student Government Association is also sponsoring their Annual Christmas Spirit Week.

Alsop this week the DeSoto Parish announced their system’s teacher of the year.  DeSoto Parish High School Teacher of the Year is Mr. Demetri M. Hill.  Now Hill is preparing for state competition next.

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Last Wednesday, the JROTC Program at North DeSoto High School concluded their Accreditation.  The school said, “Our cadets did amazing.  Their briefs were very informative, and portfolios weredetailed.”

The program reported that the final rating was 95 out of 100.  This earns the program an Honor Unit with Distinction.

“Congratulations to NDHS JROTC Cadets and Instructors.  Job well done,” posted the school.

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It’s time for the Stonewall Christmas Parade.  It will be held at the North DeSoto School Complex on Hwy. 171.

The Grand Marshal is Mrs. Sarah Copeland of Stonewall, La. She is married to Cody Copeland, and they have two sons.  Sarah recently had her first book published and also started the Little Free Library which is located in the Stonewall town park.  The parade committee posted, “We feel she is deserving of this honor and we wish her all the best.”

Parade rolls Saturday night at about 6:30.  Come and enjoy the show.

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By Brad Dison

In the mid-1960s, the space race, the competition between the United States and the Soviet Union, Cold War rivals, was at its peak.  At first, the Soviet Union was ahead.  They sent up the first artificial satellite (Sputnik 1), sent the first human into space (Yuri Gagarin), and had the first human make a “spacewalk” (Alexei Leonov).  America had to play catch up, but had several firsts as well.  This is the true story about one of the American firsts in space.

Launching people into space has always been dangerous, and so it was with the Gemini 6 mission.  Gemini 6, crewed by command pilot Walter Schirra and pilot Thomas Stafford, was scheduled for launch on October 25, 1965.  One of their main objectives included four dockings with an unmanned space vehicle, the Agena Target Vehicle.  On the morning of October 25, Schirra and Stafford boarded the Gemini 6 spacecraft and prepared for launch.  During their preparations, NASA launched the unmanned target vehicle on a separate rocket.  Six minutes into the unmanned craft’s flight, a catastrophic failure caused it to explode.  As the target vehicle was needed for the mission, NASA cancelled the Gemini 6 launch.

NASA rescheduled the spaceflight for December 12, 1965, with an altered mission objective referred to as Gemini 6A, to rendezvous but not dock with Gemini 7, a spacecraft crewed by command pilot Frank Borman and piloted by James “Jim” Lovell.  As they had done on the previous launch attempt, Schirra and Stafford boarded the spacecraft and prepared for launch.  At 9:54 a.m., the main engines ignited and, after just a second and a half, shut down abruptly.  Engineers determined the cause of the problem was a plastic dust cover mistakenly left inside the booster when it was assembled months earlier.  Engineers removed the cover and, after reinspecting the spacecraft, deemed it safe to fly.

Three days later, on the morning of December 15, astronauts Schirra and Stafford boarded the rocket for another attempt.  At 8:37, the spacecraft lifted off and rocketed into space in what engineers called a textbook launch.  After four orbits, Gemini 6A propelled towards Gemini 7 for the planned rendezvous.  The two spacecrafts carefully positioned themselves, and at one point, came within one foot of each other, and the astronauts conversed over their radios.  This was the first rendezvous of two spacecrafts in space.  After nearly four hours of remaining together in close proximity, Gemini 6A positioned itself 19 miles from Gemini 7 to ensure that there would be no accidental collisions while the astronauts slept.

On the following morning, December 16, 1965, as the crew of Gemini 6A prepared for reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere, they radioed a distressing message to the Houston space center:

“…this is Gemini VI. We have an object, looks like a satellite going from north to south, up in a polar orbit. He’s in a very low trajectory traveling from north to south and has a very high climbing ratio. It looks like it might even be a … Very low. Looks like he might be going to reenter soon. Stand by one … You might just let me try to pick up that thing.”

Then, over the radio, Gemini 7 and the Houston space center heard a metallic jingling sound along with some musical notes.  They were relieved when they realized that Schirra was playing a harmonica and Stafford was shaking some bells, instruments that the stowage people at Cape Kennedy would have had to approve for the flight.  This was another first in the space race as it was the first song ever played in space.  The name of the song astronauts Schirra and Stafford played in space was “Jingle Bells.”        

Sources:

1. The Buffalo News, December 16, 1965, p.1.
2. The Raleigh Register, December 16, 1965, p.15.
3. The Buffalo News, December 16, 1965, p.1.
4. “First Song Played in Space,” Guinness World Records, accessed December 8, 2022, .guinnessworldrecords.com.

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By Nicole Tull

Logansport High School’s Khameron Boykins has a promising athletic career awaiting him in the collegiate world. He has current offers from Centenary and Louisiana Christian but has recently announce he is committed to Centenary.

Along with maintaining a 3.0 GPA, Boykins has impressive stats as a quarterback with the Tigers:

Passing–712 attempts–452 completions (64%) —6112 yds–74 TD’s

Rushing–129 attempts–1473 yds—27 TD’s

TOTAL OFFENSE ACCOUNTED FOR:  7585 Yds—101 TD’s

He has 25 wins and 12 losses as the starter. He has played in every game in high school with a total of 50 games. He played in 18 playoff games.

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By Steve Graf

If you haven’t looked at bass boats lately, prepare yourself for sticker shock! Holy cow, it’s absolutely incredible how much bass boats have gone up over the last 20 years! There’s no way you can justify buying one of these bank-draining luxury cruise missiles that will sit in your garage probably 20 days out of the month. The big question is, “When will the prices level out and stop going up?” The answer is, “When anglers quit buying new boats and refuse to pay the price.” Let’s take a look at how much and why there is a price increase.

Back in 1998, Ranger Boats offered me an opportunity to be a part of the Ranger Pro Staff which was a dream come true. How cool was that to be able to run one of the greatest bass boats ever made and be a part of the Ranger family…a boat company under the leadership of Forest L. Wood (the founder of Ranger Boats) that set the standard by which all bass boats were measured. It was at the time the number one-selling bass boat on the market due to its design, dependability, and innovative features. 

While Ranger had several models to choose from, their top-of-the-line Z boat series had a hefty price tag of $32,000. It truly was the “cat’s meow” and took bass fishing to a whole other level with its innovative hull design, fully padded front deck, along with the best “soft ride” seats an angler could sit on. Even in 1998, $32,000 was a lot of money to spend on a bass boat. My recollection at the time; how stupid it was to spend that kind of money on a bass boat just to go fishing!

Fast forward to 2022. Today one of these same luxury Z boats will set you back $90,000 to $100,000! In just a little over twenty years, bass boats have skyrocketed…all brands, not just Ranger. Talk about sticker shock, and don’t try to justify spending this kind of money to go fishing even if you’re fishing the pro tournament trail.  Who would have ever thought you would have to spend basically six figures to go bass fishing?

It’s insane to think that back in 1998 your truck cost more than the boat you were pulling, but today the boat costs significantly more than the truck pulling the boat. But that’s where we are today, as anglers continue to want bigger and better. It’s all about supply and demand and as long as anglers are willing to pay, boat companies will continue to go up in prices! Everything on a bass boat has gone digital and is basically hybrid computers…touch screens monitor every facet of a bass boat from engine efficiency, oil usage, and battery life to gas consumption. Some boats have gone to keyless starts with digital touch pads that allow the boat owner to crank the boat simply by knowing a 4-digit code.

Today’s boats have trolling motors that can deploy themselves simply with the touch of a button. The best trolling motors today have what is called a “spot lock” system that will hold the boat in one spot anywhere on the lake. Some will even follow a straight line and run parallel to the shoreline all by themselves. When it comes to the electronics being used, there are depth finders that will allow an angler to see fish swimming at all depths 75 to 100 feet out. Another new feature today is called forward-facing sonar. You can literally watch the fish swim up to your bait and eat it…basically like a video game! This has been a total game-changer for all bass fishermen!

There’s also another system, the shallow water anchor system, that is being used by almost every tournament angler. This is where you have what is called Power Poles or Talons, two poles on the back of the boat that can be deployed into shallow water (12 feet or less) that will lock the boat in place. Great for sight fishing or anchoring the boat at the dock for weigh-ins.

So why the cost increase? Technological advancements! Back in 1998, we didn’t have forward-facing sonar, we didn’t have electronic units that worked off GPS coordinates, we didn’t have digital computer dashes, shallow water anchor systems or keyless touch pads. Is all of this technology required to catch fish today? Absolutely not! But if you want to compete at the highest level, you better have these luxuries and more. These up-and-coming young anglers of today know how to take advantage of every aspect of their electronic units and will take you to the cleaners and suck your money right out of your pocket as they are so comfortable using these devices with total confidence.

So, the next time you venture out into the bass boat market, prepare yourself for sticker shock! But understand, you can still get a really nice boat for $50,000 without all the bells and whistles. It’s all about how much money you want to spend. Till next time, good luck, good fishing, and don’t forget to wear your sunscreen.

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Sheriff Richardson has been showing me different ways a Deputy keeps kids safe!  Last night I worked as a Dispatcher, which is the person that answers the phone when you call the Sheriffs Office!  I answered a call from a little boy in Mansfield that thought he saw Santa, and a girl in Stanley that thought she HEARD Santa break the sound barrier!  I told them it was a little bit too early for that though.  One man named Mr. Greaseball called about his cousin ruining Christmas, and another grouchy person called to ask me if my refrigerator was running?  But I sent a Deputy to every house and they helped them all!  Even when Mr. Joey Register called to say one of his cows was up in the tree again, Deputy Charla just threw that Ole heifer on her back like She-Hulk and carried it down!  Anyway, I really like being a Dispatcher!  They get to help so many people and they even keep maple syrup here too!  I think when I return to the North Pole I will ask Santa if I can be a dispatcher for when kids call him!  I hope everyone is being really good because Christmas is getting super close!  Even Santa called last night.  I mean…he called to ask me if the dump was open, but it was still great to hear from him!! 

See everyone next week when I share where the Sheriff sends me next!

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Public Speaking tends to be the one topic that when covered in class universally sends fear into the hearts of most students.  There is great reluctance to go before an audience and speak.

North DeSoto FFA said, “It is one of the most important skills that can be taught in Agriculture class.  Regardless of your path in life, learning to communicate effectively is essential.”

Recently members of the FFA at North DeSoto participated in a speaking competition.  NDHS brought home 3rd Place in Area II Gulf of Mexico prepared speaking.  Congratulations to all of our competitors, they each have a bright future ahead of them.

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Louisiana Tech University has announced the names of students on its 2022 Fall Quarter President’s and Dean’s honor lists.

Students whose names are followed by an asterisk earned recognition as members of the president’s honor list. That distinction signifies achievement of at least a 3.8 academic grade point average on a minimum of nine semester hours completed (100-level or higher), with no grade lower than a B.

To be eligible for the dean’s honor lists, a student is required to earn at least a 3.5 academic grade point average with no grade lower than a C on a minimum of nine semester hours completed (100-level or higher).

From DeSoto Parish:

Gloster: Aciah Ole Smith*

Grand Cane: Claire Elise Headrick*, Blayne Joseph Springer

Keatchie: Sydney Alyse Latham, Lauren Grace Niten

Logansport: Jenna L. Hall*, Elizabeth Danielle Register

Mansfield: Trevor Lynn Martin

Stonewall: Korben Page Basco, Caden Harrison Britt*, Landry K. Burback, Rachael L. Coker, Victoria Elizabeth Evans, Draydin C. Ferguson, Kathryn Mackenzie Graner*, Landry Michael Lyddy*, Josephine Brianna McLain*, Kevin Daniel Mijares*, Peyton Riley Murphy, Lael Christine Penner*, Kate L. Peterson*, Mallorie C. Phillips, Natalie Marie Pierce, Bonnie Leeann Smith*, Macy Watts Young*

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By Nicole Tull

The Village of Grand Cane held their Christmas festivities on Saturday, December 3rd. Christmas in Whoville was the theme. The Village Merchants and vendors opened shop at 9am. Christmas gifts could be purchased, and delicious goodies were also available from both vendors and store fronts. The entire village was transformed into Whoville with painted storefronts.

The parade rolled through at 11am.  Starting off the parade was Grand Marshall Rickey Deas and Mayor Marsha Lea Richardson followed. Senator Barry Milligan and Representative Larry Bagley offered their presence in the lineup. Central elementary classes decorated floats and dressed up like jolly Whos. Various locals decorated their small vehicles to participate in the parade. The very last to be ushered in was Jolly Ol’ Saint Nick himself atop the DFD 8 firetruck.

After the parade, Santa was available for pictures. Villagers showed up in droves for the many festivities that lasted all day. Later that afternoon the Front Porch Tour of Homes was available for those purchasing a ticket. Through the years the HGCA has sponsored a tour of homes as a fundraiser. It has been a favorite to visit the beautiful homes in the village.

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It would seem that just about everybody wants to know what is going on.  It would also seem that many people miss out on local events.

You may help remedy that situation with a gift of information.

What better Christmas present than to assure that a friend or family member is able to stay informed of news, sports and events in the parish.

This Christmas give a subscription to the DeSoto Parish Journal.

Then every Wednesday and every Friday morning they will receive the latest events of people and places in the parish.  And of the accomplishments of friends who have left the parish.  We call them DeSoto Alumni.

How you say?  And at what cost?  Back in the 1970’s Archie Bunker and “All In The Family” was the big rage on TV.  Archie was, among other things, a great philosopher.  A favorite quote of Archie’s, “If it don’t cost nutting youse can afford to be generous.”

And you can afford to give a subscription to the Journal.  There is no cost.  The Journal is advertiser supported, so patronize our sponsors and we’ll bring you the news.

The Journal is the perfect size, the perfect color, a great appearance, and the price, now that is nice.

CLICK HERE and sign them up!

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Kenneth Walter Bruce

May 2, 1970 to December 13, 2022

View full obituary here:

https://desotoparishjournal.com/2022/12/15/kenneth-walter-bruce/

Kager Atkins Jr.

March 7, 1948 to December 13, 2022

Service: Saturday, December 17, 2022 1:00 P.M. Jenkins Funeral Home Chapel

Bennie Ruth Davis

November 8, 1944 to December 9, 2022

Service: Saturday, December 17, 2022 1:00 P.M. Mary Evergreen B.C. Grand Cane, LA

The DeSoto Parish Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $70. The obituary will be included in the emails sent to subscribers.  Contact your funeral provider or DeSotoParishJournal@gmail.com. Must be paid in advance of publication. (Notice of Death shown above with no link to the obituary are FREE of charge.)

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On Monday afternoon December 19^th the Young Artists Club meets at the library in Logansport.  The program is for children ages 5-7.  It begins at 4:00 pm.

Calling on all elves and Santa’s helpers.  DeSoto Fire District #1 visits caring hands pediatric day health center every year to let the children view the fire truck and spread a little Christmas joy.  If you’d like to drop off a toy, you can do so at our central station located at 300 Marshall road in Logansport until December 19^th.

DeSoto Parish Schools announced the 2022-2023 DeSoto Parish District Level Teachers of the Year. They are Haley Carpenter, named Elementary Teacher of the Year.  She teacher at North DeSoto Lower Elementary School.  The Middle School Teacher of the Year is Tina Catlin.  She is from North DeSoto Middle School.  And the High School Teacher of the Year is Demetri Hill of Mansfield High School.

On Monday and Tuesday First Methodist Mansfield will present a Living Nativity from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

Note on your calendar to come see Santa at the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Government Plaza on December 23, 2022, from 10 am to 1 pm.

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A Requiem Mass for Kenneth Walter Bruce, 52, will be held at 2:00 pm at St. Ann’s Catholic Church at 2264 Highway 171, Stonewall, Louisiana, celebrated by Rev. Mark Franklin, KHS.

A visitation will be held at the church at 1:00 p.m. before the service. Burial will follow at St. Ann’s Cemetery.

Kenneth Walter Bruce went to be with His Beloved Jesus Tuesday, December 13, 2022.

He was born in Shreveport, Louisiana to Ruth Powell Bruce and Walter Bruce. He lived on Cross Lake in the family home and was known as the best fisherman around. He kept the family and friends with plenty of fish and deer. He worked at Bruce Treasure and enjoyed helping customers learn to hunt for treasure around old home places. Kenneth graduated from Bossier Parish Community College, where he starred in a children’s show called “Homework Hotline.”

Kenneth once said, ” This may not sound right but I thank God for the brain cancer, if it brings even one person to the Lord.” Through his last years, most people that came into Kenneth’s presence were asked, “Can I pray with you?” Even on his last day on earth, nurses attending him said he was still praying with people. His favorite prayer was to pray for all the ones that had ever prayed for him.

Kenneth was preceded in death by his parents, Ruth and Walter Bruce. Left to cherish his memory are his sister, Gloria Bruce Miller and brother-in-law, Charles Robert Miller, his brother, Keith Thomas Bruce; nieces, Ashley Bruce, Christy Holmes and husband, C. D. Holmes, Stephanie Miller; nephews, Jason Miller and wife, Jerri Bourrous Miller, Eric Miller and wife, Desiree Shaw Miller; and numerous great-nephews and great-nieces.

The family wishes to send heartfelt thanks to his many doctors including Dr. Niher Patel, Dr. Jake C. Wang, Dr. Bharat Guthikonda and Dr. Kevin Gallagher, Dr. James Burke, Dr. Kimberley Law; to so many special nurses and to all the staff at Heritage Manor South and Lifepath.

Honoring Kenneth as pallbearers will be C. D. Holmes, Chance Holmes, Jason Miller, Eric Miller, Greg Robertson and serving as honorary pallbearers will be Herman Remedies and Bruce Culpepper.

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On Saturday, DeSoto Voters overwhelmingly approved three amendments to the state Constitution, gave approval to two tax propositions, and elected a member of the School Board.  Voter turnout was extremely light, about 10% Parishwide.

The race for District 5 on the DeSoto Parish School Board was the only runoff on the ballot.  Alice Hamilton Thomas polled 139 votes or 66% and James “Jim” Veuleman got 71 votes or 34%.  This school board race got the best voter turnout at 14%.

The Police Jury’s Parishwide tax was approved with 54% of the votes cast.  Tally was 1037 yes and 901 no.  This continues a 6.06 mills property tax for another 10 years.  Voter turnout was at 10.2%.

Voters living in Fire Protection District #1 gave overwhelming approval to renewing the district’s property tax.  Vote tally was 188 votes for or 77% to 57 votes against or 23% in opposition.  The tax is a 10.69 mills renewal for 10 years.

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As the clock expired the North Desoto Griffins walked off the field as they have many times all season, after scoring a touchdown. Problem is that it was too little, too late as the Griffins fell to the Lutcher Bulldogs 28-25 in the Division II Non-Select Championship  in the Caesars Superdome.

Despite a valiant effort by freshman Luke Delafield and his 322 yards passing and two touchdowns that kept the Griffins in the game, it was his 4 interceptions that proved too much to bounce back from.

After the defense forced a punt in the first possession, Delafield connected with Landon Falls for a 78 yard touchdown to put the Good Guys up 7-0. Lutcher answered back with a TD pass of their own to end the first quarter squared up at 7-7. The offensive staff went into their bag of tricks when Sam Odom connected with Brian Banks on a double pass to end the first half scoring at 13-7.

The Second half started promising as Gator Hampton cemented the opening drive with a 1 yard plunge and once again the Bulldogs answered with a D’Wayne’ Whitfield touchdown run. The Griffins offense took control and were heading into the endzone as John Lewis fumbled inside the 5 and the Bulldogs took control of the ball and ultimately the rest of the game as they went on to score 2 more times to put them up 28-19 as the clock continued to tick away, the Griffins offense flew around and finished the game with class and a determination that will surely carry them into the offseason as the look to grow upon a Historic, Record Breaking Season that will surely be talked about for years to come.

The Griffins season end with a 12-2 overall record, a Co-District Championship and a State Runner-Up Trophy to put in the trophy case. Job Well Done. 

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On Sunday, the District 1-4A team was announced following the conclusion of the North Desoto Championship Game.

The Following Griffins were named to the team.

First Team Offense

Luke Delafield- Quarterback

Cole Cory- WR

Gage Caskey-OL

Mason Lopez-OL

Second Team Offense

Brian Banks-RB

John Lewis-RB

Landon Falls-WR

Sam Odom-WR

Saeveonne Jackson-OL

Trysten Hopper-TE

First Team Defense

Jordan Milton-DL

Marquese Hampton-DL

Daniel Olivier-LB

Brian McMillian-LB

Hunter Addison-DB

Corbyn Cross-DB

Second Team Defense

Jaxson Terry-DL

Lake Bates-DB

Honorable Mentions

Lincoln Hooper- Def Athlete

DJ Collins- DB

Kaleb Carter- LB

Caden Lopez- OL

Special Teams

Cole Cory- First Team Returner

Landon Falls- Second Team Kicker

Drake Wadsworth- HM Punter

Co-Defensive MVP

Marquese Hampton

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News from the Logansport Branch Library’s Happy Hour.  Last week participants were getting ready for Christmas.

“We made some beautiful Christmas trees using cardboard peat pots,” said the Library.  They added, “Our ladies are so creative, and we have so much fun each month.”

Logansport Library’s next Happy Hour will be Thursday December 15th at 1:30 pm.  The program includes painting salt dough ornaments made by Janet Dockens. Ladies in the community are invited to bring a friend and come have fun.

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By Teddy Allen

Today is the unofficial First Day of Christmas since it’s 12 days until The Big Day, which means it’s fixing to be Christmas. 

That we say “fixing to” instead of “about to” is one of the joys of being a Southerner. Who said it first, I don’t know, but bless his heart, and merry First Day of Christmas to you. 

Some traditions hold that the First Day of Christmas is December 25, and the 12 days run into the New Year. Who wants to wait that long? Not me. We’re fixing to start celebrating now. 

Speaking of things southern, we’ve been working on some carols, Southern-themed: 

“I’m dreaming of a white cornbread,
In every skillet that’s in sight.
May the sides be crispy, to bite,
And may all your cornbreads be just right.” 

Or, how about . . . 

“Pork skins roasting on an open fire.
Chittlins’ nipping at your nose.
Waylon and Willy being sung by the fire,
While dad spends Christmas Eve at Lowe’s.” 

Give me some time to work on it …  

Thankfully, the most important songs were written at the dawn of time and wait as gifts for us to receive and to sing with sincerity, even as the angels sang, that long-ago Judean night, as Luke recorded: 

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, 
goodwill toward men.”  

Peace and goodwill came to earth, to men, in the flesh and as a baby. Only God could have thought of something like that. 

William Billings, regarded as America’s first choral composer, captured — at least as well as a human mind can — the mystery of the incarnation in his Shepherd’s Carol, composed in New England in the mid-1700s. 

“Seek not in courts or palaces, 
nor royal curtains draw.
But search the stable, see your God
extended on the straw.”

God, extended on the straw. 

Extended, as a baby, a stretching newborn.  Extended, from a heavenly throne to an earthly manger.  Extended, to mankind and to man, to each of us, individually. 

God extends his hand.  Even to me.  Even to you.  

Christmas is always the opportunity to receive the best gift of all, a new birth in our old selves. And a new song the Psalmist told us about. 

“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God . . ..”   

Now some 2,000 years after Christ’s birth, the message is the same.  A 19th century minister named Phillips Brooks reminds us, each year at this time, that the Good News is everlasting.  If we choose to be quiet, we might even hear the song, the new song, born in a manger. 

“How silently, how silently
the wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
the blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming, 
but in this world of sin,
where meek souls will receive him still,
the dear Christ enters in.” 

If no one’s wished you Merry Christmas yet, I’m “fixing to.” Let me be the first. Here’s hoping we can get in tune with the baby and ourselves and each other, and make this our best song yet.  

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu 

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The Logansport Branch of the DeSoto Parish Library reported, “Our young scientists discovered how potatoes produce electricity.  Each scientist made a potato powered clock.”

On the days activities was an experiment with other fruits, vegetables, and liquids.  The science students discovered the acids in the objects along with zinc, and copper will produce and conduct electricity. 

Upcoming for the young scientists at the Logansport Library every Tuesday afternoon at 4:00 pm is another edition of the STEM program.

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North DeSoto High School student Hayden St. Amant enjoys his computer science courses because it allows him to learn more about a subject he enjoys.

A release from the education department said St. Amant has already earned one certification while in high school and is working on his second.

He was honored by the Louisiana Department of Education during Computer Science Education Week.  St. Amant said, “It allows me to pursue a career after school that would normally take me more preparation time after graduation.”

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