On April 27, voters in North DeSoto did not approve a $85.2 million building bond proposal focused on addressing rapid growth in the area with the construction of a new high school and upgrades to the lower elementary.
Vote totals were: Yes – 642 No – 1,161
The revised plan was developed with input of more than 600 community members who shared their thoughts on why the 2023 bond plan was rejected. During the survey 78% of respondents said that the DeSoto Parish School Board needed to do something about the growth in District 2 and that they wanted to see a solution that was less than $100 million and focused on academic spaces. The revised proposal addressed this issue coming in well under that figure.
DeSoto Parish School Board shared on their website that while other schools in the area have seen a push for lower class sizes at the elementary level, North DeSoto Lower and Upper Elementary Schools cannot have comparable class size decreases because of space constraints and the PreK programs would have to continue to turn students away. A three-year-old option was available during the 2023-24 school year, but because of increased demand for four-year-old PreK and Kindergarten classrooms, the program has been eliminated for the 2024-25 school year with a waiting list in place for the four-year old program.
DPSB assured the public they are united in the belief that it is our responsibility to set a positive example for the young people of our community and that we all want what is best for them. They will continue to communicate and collaborate through the next steps in the process.
Get the buses ready to go to Baton Rouge as North DeSoto, Mansfield and Logansport high schools qualified student-athletes in a total of 34 track and field events for their respective state championships.
Mansfield punched tickets in 15 different events (Class 2A), North DeSoto will compete in 13 different events (Class 4A), and Logansport (Class 1A) will be represented in six different events in their respective classes.
Logansport will compete Thursday, Mansfield on Friday and North DeSoto on Saturday at LSU’s Bernie Moore Track Stadium.
Track and field athletes qualified in their respective events by finishing in the top three in their region meets.
MANSFIELD
A pair of boys hurdlers set the tone for Mansfield as Jaden Youngblood and Ian White took the top two spots in the 110 and 300 meter hurdles at the Region 1-2A meet, which Mansfield hosted.
Youngblood clocked a 14.52 and 38.77 to take both region titles with White running a 14.91 and 38.99 to finish second.
Youngblood took bronze in the 110 and 300 in the state championships this past season.
Zakhia Austin will represent the Lady Wolverines in two individual events as she placed third in the 100 (12.49) and third in the long jump (16-9.50).
Austin will have sprint company with LaJordan Boykins (third in the 200, 25.64) and LaBrasia Ross (second in the 400, 1:01.97).
The ladies pushed through three relays as the 4×100 (49.57) and the 4×200 (1:45.75) took region titles and the 4×400 squad placed second (4:16.72).
The boys qualified two relays as its 4×100 (43.05) captured a region crown with its 4×400 (3:29.08) taking second.
Mansfield will be represented in the throws by Ja’Lyrica Richardson (94.7.25) in the discus and Chloe Youngblood (31-2.5) in the shot put.
The boys and girls teams each finished third at the region meet.
Mansfield brings some state championship experience with the girls 4×100 (silver) and 4×200 relays (bronze) and the boys 4×200 (silver), 4×100 (bronze), and 4×400 (bronze).
The boys overall are the reigning Class 2A champions.
NORTH DESOTO
North DeSoto’s Javonte Taylor will aim for another state title as he’ll attempt to repeat as Class 4A high jump champion.
Taylor advanced in high jump (second at regionals, 6-4) and triple jump (first, 45-3.25).
He will be joined by a wealth of teammates on the state stage as North DeSoto qualified athletes in 13 total events.
A handful of those events broke school records at the regional meet this past week.
Dylan Compton was a part of three school records, snapping the 800 mark (1:58.35, second at regionals) and ran a leg on the 4×400 (3:24.50, second) and 4×800 (8:20.52, third)
Joining Compton on the 4×400 was Chaz Martinez, Lake Bates and Dale Howard. Running the 4×800 was Bates, Martinez, and George Shirley.
The girls 4×100 relay also set a new program record as the quartet of Taylor Clark, Roderia Whitaker, Aja Douglas and Nailah Delton ran a 49.09 to finish third at regionals.
Clark earned her way individually in the 100 (12.76, second).
Yazmin Furgerson also rewrote the school record book in the discus with a 120-10 to win at regionals.
Boys sprinter Kenny Thomas slid into state with a third-place finish in the 100 (11.37) to round out the boys state competitors,
On the girls side, Macaylah Tingle advanced with a second-place finish in the 800 (2:32.20) while running a leg of the 4×800 (second, 11:04.16).
Mikayla Mondello claimed a region title in the javelin (116-11.50).
Molly Wiley makes a repeat appearance at state with an 8-6 in the pole vault (second).
Both the boys and girls teams finished third overall at the region meet.
LOGANSPORT
Logansport will send student-athletes in six different boys track and field events to the state championships.
Jamarcus Jones is a state title contender in the 100 (10.71) and 200 (21.71) after claiming region titles.
D’Avery Robinson could be on the podium beside him with third-place finishes in the 100 (10.85) and the 200 (22.65).
Logansport will ship off two relays, the 4×200 (1:30.50) and the 4×400 (3:30.63) after winning region titles in Monroe.
All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty
Smith, Larry W M 60 Fugitive warrant/arrest Kilgore, Tx
Pea, Ivy D B M 66 Operating vehicle while intoxicated; first offense: penalties Vehicle requires headlamp Driving roadway traffic lane Mansfield
Jackson, Demon-Darey Jereze B M 25 Warrant DeSoto Parish Mansfield
Litton, Deandre Martel B M 26 Fugitive Warrant/ Arrest Mansfield
Jackson, Jerimicah Omarion B M 21 Possession of Schedule 1 w/intent to distribute Possession of drug paraphernalia Mansfield
Carey, Johnny Dee W M 59 Operating vehicle while intoxicated; first offense Tail lamps out Logansport
Turner, Demarion Marshun B M 24 Fugitive Warrant/Arrest Mansfield
Hemingway, Langston Gage W M 25 Domestic Abuse battery Gloster
Jackson, Larisa A W F 56 Possession of CDS IV Speeding Possession of drug paraphernalia Lake Charles
Fogg, Randall Lester W M 51 False swearing with the intent to cause an emergency response Stonewall
Boykins, Ricardo Ladale B M 30 Driving under suspension Driving Roadway Lane Traffic Shreveport
Jordan, Gary Darryl W M 63 Violation of protective order Stalking Warrant DeSoto Parish Bethany
Presley, Paul W M 35 Warrant Desoto Parish Stonewall
Carmadelle, Shantel Yvonne M F 39 Fugitive Warrant/Arrest Many
Hall, Jasmine B F 29 Warrant DeSoto Parish Fugitive Warrant/Arrest Switched license plate Keatchie
Slaughter, Damien B M 20 Warrant DeSoto Parish Zwolle
Robertson, Walter Tremell B M 46 Threatening a public official Mansfield
Singleton, Michael A Speeding Possession of CDS II Converse
Davis, Pierre Euchere B M 29 Fugitive Warrant/Arrest New Orleans
Falcon, Bryan W M 45 Domestic Abuse Battery with Serious Bodily Injury Shreveport
Moss, Kayla W F 28 Fugitive Warrant/Arrest Princeton
Abdeljabar, Shanna Maria W F 23 Possession of Marijuana Possession of CDS IV Obstruction of Justice Possession of Drug Paraphernalia Bossier
Williams, Fredrick B M 26 Possession of Schedule 1 w/Intent to Distribute Possession of Firearm by Convicted Felon Warrant DeSoto Parish Possession of Drug Paraphernalia Illegal Possession of Stolen Firearms Logansport
Lee, Kaleb Alexander W M 28 Fugitive Warrant/arrest Keithville
Pilling, Nicky Earl W M 64 Domestic Abuse Battery Violation of Protective Order Stonewall
James, Tocquankerrious Meaquane B F 20 Warrant DeSoto Parish Hit and Run Driving Domestic Abuse Aggravated Assault Aggravated Criminal damage to Property Shreveport
Sharp, Randolph B M 59 Fugitive Warrant/Arrest Fort Worth, TX
Owens, Brandie W F 39 Distribution or Possession w/Intent to Distribute CDS II Logansport
Gillis, Deaquanesia Toja B F 34 Fugitive Warrant/Arrest Lancaster, TX
West, Gary Wayne B M 59 Possession of Drug Paraphernalia Mansfield
Sanders, Yolanda B F 52 Possession of Drug Paraphernalia Mansfield
Brown, Michael A B M 65 Possession of Drug Paraphernalia Lake Charles
Wilkerson, Kathleen Renee L F 30 Modify Exhaust System Driving Under suspension Mansfield
Woody, Jasmine M B F 33 Simple Criminal Damage to Property Natchitoches
Atkins, Allen Jr. W M 59 Warrant DeSoto Parish Shreveport
Flores, Joshua W M 38 Identity Theft Shreveport
Turner, Dontavius Latran B M 26 Fugitive Warrant/Arrest Mansfield
Freeman, Stanley Gerod B M 43 Simple Robbery Armed Robbery Simple Battery Frierson
Price, Devonte D B M 24 Disturbing the Peace Mansfield
Longoria, Kevin B W M 30 Possession of CDS II Possession of CDS I Possession of Drug Paraphernalia Obscuring of Windshield or Windshield View Prohibited Driver Not Licensed Zwolle
Henderson, Shaneeti Wynette B F 40 Warrant DeSoto Parish Mansfield
Johnson, Arvis Durand B M 54 Possession of Drug Paraphernalia Manufacture/Distribution of CDS II Mansfield
Clark, Kenneth Earl B M 61 Warrant DeSoto Parish Open Alcohol Container in Vehicle Shreveport
Hoeg, Rikendle B M 19 Fugitive Warrant/Arrest Bossier City
Perry, Labrandon B M 38 Disturbing the Peace Mansfield
STANLEY – The Stanley baseball team is searching for its first-ever trip to Sulphur’s McMurry Park when the No. 4 seed Panthers host No. 5 Quitman on Wednesday at 5 p.m.
Stanley is appearing in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2015 and hasn’t been to the semifinals since three straight trips in 2002-2004.
The Panthers (21-6) are seeking revenge on two fronts – for a 5-4 loss to Quitman on March 30 in the Choudrant Tournament and for Stanley’s softball loss to Quitman in the Division V Non-Select championship game Saturday.
Stanley breezed through second-round opponent Bell City, 12-3, thanks to big offensive days from Loftin, Smith and Moton.
Quitman (16-10) slogged through Doyline in a 4-3 win in the second round. It was the third time Quitman beat Doyline this month as the Wolverines finished second behind Weston in District 1-B.
Quitman dug out of a two-run hole and walked Doyline off in the seventh inning with a Kace West sacrifice fly.
The Panthers are celebrating their best season since the early 2000s, which included a District 3-B title.
Back on March 30, Quitman jumped out to a 4-0 lead, which Stanley answered to tie the game in third inning.
The winning run was scored in the eighth inning on a Duck sacrifice fly. Duck pitched 5 1/3 scoreless relief innings in the win.
Stanley’s Maroney settled in after the four-run second inning to and threw five straight scoreless innings before giving way to Gooden in the eighth inning.
Waldron and Loftin each drove in a pair of runs in the earlier meeting with Quitman.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 30, 2024 Contact: Kevin Calbert | kevin.calbert@la.gov
On April 29, 2024, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana and Idaho filed a joint lawsuit against the federal government in response to the Biden administration’s recently released changes to Title IX, which redefine the interpretation of sex-based discrimination to include gender identity and other categories.
Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) President Ronnie Morris, Vice President Lance Harris, and Secretary-Treasurer Stacey Melerine issued the following statement regarding the new Title IX changes and the filing of the lawsuit:
“The officers of BESE fully support the state’s decision to sue the Biden administration in response to its radical changes to Title IX. Since its inception, Title IX has ensured protections for generations of girls and women in educational environments, resulting in greater equity and opportunity regardless of biological sex. Stretching the interpretation of gender discrimination beyond that which is grounded in clear biological fact undermines the original intent of Title IX, is inconsistent with its historical application, and endangers equal opportunity for females. The leadership of BESE stands with the Governor, Attorney General, and State Superintendent in this action.”
The mission of BESE is to provide leadership and create policies for education that expand opportunities for children, empower families and communities, and advance Louisiana in an increasingly competitive global market.
SULPHUR – While the Quitman softball team may have been looking for their first-ever softball championship, appearing in last year’s state title game had to be an advantage.
Quitman scored five runs in the first two innings Saturday and topped Stanley, 8-1, in the Division V Non-Select championship bout.
Stanley pitcher Paige Campbell had been on fire through the playoffs, not allowing more than three runs to any of the Lady Panthers’ three previous playoff opponents.
But Quitman struck for three first-inning runs as Stanley got in a hole in which they couldn’t dig out.
Those three runs came before Stanley recorded an out as an error, a single, and an intentional walk led to a Hallie Kate Pullig three-run double.
Two Lady Panthers got aboard in the first inning via a walk and hit-by-pitch, but Stanley couldn’t bring either home.
Quitman widened its lead to 5-0 in the second inning with its second consecutive double as Maggie Guyotte drove in a pair.
Stanley also put a pair of runners on in the third inning, but the Lady Panthers ultimately couldn’t ding Quitman pitcher Cali Deal until the fifth inning when Riley Palmer doubled in Madeline Castillo.
That sliced Quitman’s lead to 7-1, and the Lady Wolverines answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth for the 8-1 score.
Palmer recorded two of Stanley’s three hits with Castillo notching the other.
Deal issued four walks, including two to Jaci Springer, but she struck out 11 batters.
Campbell allowed six runs (four earned) on five hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings.
Palmer pitched 2 1/3 relief innings with two runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks.
Stanley was making its third-ever appearance in the state championship game, winning a title in 1994 and appearing in the title game in 2017.
The Lady Panthers should be a contender for years to come with just two seniors on the 2024 squad – Christian Barton and Aubrey Hubier.
Stanley’s rallying cry of #AllForAubs after Hubier died in an UTV accident this past September could certainly be heard again in Sulphur next season with the large number of returning Lady Panthers.
Stanley, 8, Anacoco 3
Stanley used a similar fast start to overwhelm Anacoco in the semifinals Friday.
The Lady Panthers pushed across four runs in the second inning and never appeared to be in serious jeopardy.
Springer bunted in the first run with Palmer driving in two more runs with a double for a 3-0 lead. An Alyssa Gooden RBI single closed out the scoring in the inning.
Campbell effectively navigated the Anacoco lineup with just one run allowed in the first five innings before Anacoco sliced Stanley’s lead to 5-3 in the sixth inning.
But Stanley rebuilt that edge in the bottom of the frame with a Gooden RBI single and a Karlee Jo Moton two-RBI single.
Gooden (2-for-3, 2 RBIs) and Moton (2-for-3, two RBIs, two runs scored) led the way while Palmer added two RBIs.
Campbell finished with three runs allowed (one earned) on three hits and five walks with nine strikeouts.
North DeSoto catcher Payton Miller celebrates after hitting a home run in the fourth inning of the Lady Griffins’ 9-3 loss to Lutcher in the Division II Non-Select state softball championship game on Saturday. (Journal photo by BRET H. MCCORMICK)
By LAMAR GAFFORD, Journal Sports
SULPHUR – There was no “four-peat” for North DeSoto.
Seeking to become one of 10 Louisiana softball programs to win four championships in a row, the Lady Griffins fell to Lutcher, 9-4, in the Division II non-select championship game Saturday.
“We just didn’t play well and (Lutcher) played really well,” North DeSoto coach Tim Whitman said. “Hats off to them, their pitcher threw it well. We didn’t make adjustments until later on in the game, but it is what it is. I’m not disappointed in their effort.”
Lady Griffin pitcher Laney Johnson and Lutcher’s Blair Clement dueled for the first three innings, but Clement broke the game open with a grand slam in the top of the fourth to break the scoreless tie.
Payton Miller put North DeSoto (30-5) on the board in the bottom half of the inning with a solo home run and then a pair of Lutcher errors in the fourth and fifth innings pulled it to 5-3, but that would be the closest North DeSoto would get.
Clement smacked a solo home run in the sixth inning and Alexis Lyons added a two-run double in the seventh inning to keep it comfortably ahead.
Lutcher (24-7) won its first title since 2009.
As the No. 1 seed, North DeSoto had been on a dominant tear to get to the title game – outscoring its opponents 31-2 in the first three rounds.
The Lady Griffins made light work of North Vermillion (24-7) in the semifinals with an 11-1 win as Johnson hit a solo home run and tossed a one-hitter.
North DeSoto had six batters with extra base hits, as Johnson retired 14 of her last 15 batters she faced.
Despite closing their careers with a runner-up finish, the Lady Griffin senior class has accomplished a lot with three straight titles from 2021-2023 and 131 victories to their names.
On top of that, they have players that will play collegiate softball. Johnson signed with Louisiana Tech, while third baseman Mia Norwood is heading to UL Lafayette and second baseman Ciara Orgeron will go to LSU Eunice.
“This is a special group,” Whitman said. “The pressure that this group has been under – they’ve had a lot of it. Everybody thinks it’s easy and it’s expected. But this is a great senior class. We can’t take away what they’ve done. Their four-year careers amass anyone in any class or school.”
SHREVEPORT – Rayne High needed a near-perfect game and an outstanding outing from starting pitching Peyton Daigle to win the first game of a best-of-three series Thursday.
On Friday, Rayne wasn’t anywhere near perfection as the North DeSoto bats came to life to win the doubleheader and the second-round series.
The No. 9 seed Griffins took advantage of No. 8 seed Rayne mistakes in a 7-2 win in the opening game Friday and knocked the ball around in a 12-0, five-inning win in the finale.
North DeSoto (24-8) will face No. 1 seed Lutcher in the quarterfinals of the Division II Non-Select playoffs. Lutcher disposed of No. 17 Jennings in 4-0 and 14-2 wins.
North DeSoto 7, Rayne 2
With their playoff lives on the line and needing two wins, North DeSoto set the tone early with three runs in the first inning on just two hits.
A Trysten Hopper single and two errors resulted in the first run as Blake McFerren scored on the second error.
Reni Mason sacrifice flied in the second run and a Braden Jones single drove home the third run.
Rayne committed six errors overall on the night.
The Griffins stretched the lead to 4-0 in the second inning on a Hopper ground out after McFerren was hit by a pitch and moved on a sacrifice bunt.
After Rayne managed to manufacture runs Thursday, it was North DeSoto moving runners in a manner of ways Friday.
Hopper dealt on the mound by going the distance with just two unearned runs allowed on five hits with five strikeouts. The senior retired nine batters he faced before an error to start the fourth inning that led to a Grant Simon RBI single to cut the Griffins’ edge to 4-1.
North DeSoto got that run back when Kaleb Carter led off with a double and eventually scored on an error, pushing the lead to 5-1 in the fourth inning.
The Griffins added a pair of tuns in the sixth inning on passed balls.
North DeSoto scored its seven runs on just four hits and four walks.
North DeSoto 12, Rayne 0 (5)
The North DeSoto bats feasted on four different Rayne pitchers as the Griffins scored 12 runs 15 hits.
Bryant LaCour started the scoring with an RBI double with Reni Mason (RBI single) and a Brayden Toothman sacrifice fly putting North DeSoto up 3-0 in the first inning.
The Griffins never looked back as pitcher Kaleb Carter worked around one hit and five walks to record a five-inning shutout.
Cole Cory led the offensive effort with a 3-for-4 day and three RBIs. He had an RBI double and a pair of RBI singles for the sixth, ninth and 12th runs, respectively.
LaCour and Blake McFerren (2-for-3) each had two RBIs.
Mason, Jones and Hopper each recorded a pair of hits with Jones scoring a team-high three runs.
In just about every sport, there are participants who set personal goals. For example, a baseball player aspires to hit .400; basketball players hope for a triple-double. For golfers, it’s a hole-in-one.
It is no different in the world of the hunter/angler. Bass fishermen look for a lunker weighing in double-digits while deer hunters long for a buck with a rack impressive enough to “make the book”. For turkey hunters, there’s the Grand Slam.
Although I would love to have a 10 pound bass on my wall and my name in the Boone and Crockett records for trophy bucks, this is not what makes my motor run. What lights my fire is to hear the thunderous gobble of a long-beard wild turkey gobbler on a spring morning.
The thoughts of my completing a Grand Slam in turkey hunting was about as remote as me making a hole-in-one. That was before I had the chance to hunt turkeys in South Dakota.
To pull off a wild turkey Grand Slam, it is necessary to take one of each of the four sub-species of wild turkeys found in the U.S. These include Easterns, which inhabit much of the south, east and northeast; Rio Grande turkeys, residents of arid mesquite and cactus country of the southwest; Osceolas which are residents only of the southern half of Florida, and Merriams of the mountains and plains of the mid-west. To accomplish such a task, it would be necessary for a lot of things to fall into place, and there would be an abundance of traveling involved. Frankly, I just didn’t see that happening.
One spring afternoon as the sun slipped behind a hill in the Badlands of South Dakota, I completed my Grand Slam. First, a little history of what brought me to this point I never thought I’d reach.
My first turkey hunt was a half-hearted effort when a writer friend invited me to his home state of Alabama to hunt. On April 13, 1992, my guide, Skinny Hallmark, called in a gobbling longbeard off a hillside to my gun and in that moment, something happened that would forever change the way I look at spring mornings. It was love at first GOBBLE…..BOOM, and I’ve chased these wary birds every spring since. The Alabama gobbler was an Eastern sub-species and I gradually learned what turkey hunting was all about.
In 2000, I jumped at the opportunity to hunt another of the sub-species, the Rio Grande. While hunting with Al Brasuel and sons in south Texas I downed my first Rio Grande. The thought of a Grand Slam only teased the margins of my mind; I saw no way that I’d ever travel to south Florida or to the Great Plains to turkey hunt. That was before Keith Brasuell called me one day inviting me to ride with him to Naples, Florida for an Osceola hunt. Good fortune accompanied me when a mature Osceola gobbler strutted in front of my shotgun.
Like a bolt from the blue, it hit me. All of a sudden, I found myself only one bird away from a coveted Grand Slam. Could I do it? Could I figure out a way to head somewhere up north where Merriams live? Soon after returning from Florida, I found a press release from the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks making a pitch for their great hunting and fishing opportunities. The release talked about the great trout fishing; super walleye angling; wonderful deer and elk hunting….and here is what caught my eye….an abundance of Merriams gobblers.
On a hunch, I called the South Dakota agency, got the go ahead and flew into Rapid City.
In addition to securing a Black Hills gobbler tag, I was one of the fortunate few who also snagged a Prairie tag. This would double my chances for a Merriams, and if things worked out right, I might even get two gobblers which, incidentally I did.
On the last minute of the last hour of the last day of my Prairie hunt, I bagged a big 21 pound Merriams. There’s no 10 pound bass hanging on my wall nor is my name in the Boone and Crockett book but, by George, there’s a wild turkey Grand Slam hanging on my wall and I couldn’t be more proud.
The 2nd annual City of Lights crawfish cookoff hosted by the Natchitoches Parish Fair Board will be held on May 4th at the fairgrounds. Teams will be boiling their best recipes competing for cash prizes and people’s choice.
This event is open to the public, 11 am to 5 pm for only $30 – all-you-can-eat crawfish!!! There will be live entertainment provided by the Comeback Kids & the Born to Boogie band. A Taste of Heaven Food Truck, Cane River Pizza Co., snow cones, Murphy’s Sweets & eats, a bouncy house play area for the kids, and Antoons will be selling beer to that id as 21 and over.
No ice chests or outside food or drinks will be allowed, bags will be checked, and lawn chairs are recommended. Visit our 2nd annual City of Lights crawfish cookoff Facebook page to find sponsorship and /or registration information to enter a team or to purchase pre-sale tickets.
All proceeds from this event will benefit the NRMC Cancer Center. So come to the fairgrounds on May 4th to support this great cause.
Monday, April 22, the DeSoto Parish School System recognized the incredible achievements of 58 DeSoto Parish Schools Elite Scholars. These students have shown exceptional dedication and hard work throughout their high school careers.
For TOPS 4 College Pathway, students achieved advanced scores on national assessments like CLEP, Advanced Placement, or ACT, demonstrating their readiness for higher education. Meanwhile, TOPS 2 Career and Technical Pathway students have not only earned advanced credentials but also excelled in national assessments like ACT or Workeys, paving the way for their future careers.
DPSS thanked the parents and families whose steadfast support, guidance, and encouragement have been instrumental in shaping these young scholars’ success. Their dedication has played a pivotal role in preparing the students for the exciting journey ahead in their education and careers.
Congratulations to the Elite Scholars and their families. Your achievements inspire everyone and showcase the power of determination and hard work.
I have used it before, and it still applies. Some people are that lost. For you folks that don’t speak with an Alabama accent, a “he-haint” is a male ghost. And a male ghost in a corn field, or a field with high weeds, is very lost!
Before GPS, most men would refuse to stop and ask for directions. It is in our genetic coding. Our brides would demand that we stop at the sketchy-looking convenience store and ask for directions. Our universal response was, “Honey, I think I recognize that water tower and I know where I am.” After another hour of being lost, the exasperated wife would demand we stop. She would walk into the same sketchy-looking convenience store and ask for directions. With the advent of GPS technology, men don’t need to ask for directions. Now we are never lost. If there is a problem, we blame it on that nice British woman speaking through our GPS. Google is infallible, right?
I do like to make my GPS lady mad by not following her directions. She will tell me to make a “legal U turn” or she will woefully offer the words, “recalculating.”
The notion of a male being lost for all eternity is both sad and humorous. Maybe that’s what a ghost is, a person who refuses to ask for directions on their journey to the pearly gates. They will eventually catch on to the fact that it is OK to ask for directions and go on to eternal bliss.
If you see someone who is lost, what should you do about point them in the right direction? Do you have an obligation to warn them that they are lost?
With all this technology in automobiles, how can anyone be lost?
The other day I was doing a wedding in Simsboro. It is a nice new wedding venue. I programmed my car to get me there. The car did a great job of making sure I arrived on time. As I left the wedding, I looked at the car map. According to my car, I was driving in the middle of nowhere. I was not on a road, nor was I headed in a direction. I wondered how long it would be before my vehicle would correct the navigation system oversight. It was amusing because the wedding was over. What if the same thing happened as I was headed to the wedding? Heading to the wedding and being lost would have been a most unpleasant experience. Being lost is a matter of destination and the perspective of time. Let me ask you three questions about your life journey.
In life’s journey, where are you? Where are you headed? Do you have a nagging feeling that you might have lost your way? Spiritually, how you do recalculate the journey?
When you are lost, how do you “get found?”
I think the question has a spiritual dimension and an answer involving Jesus.
The truth is He’ll leave the ninety-nine and go looking for the one that is lost.
SHREVEPORT, LA — LifeShare Blood Center is partnering with the Community Foundation of North Louisiana to participate in this year’s annual Give for Good campaign. This event empowers the entire community to get involved in causes they care about while building awareness and support for local nonprofits. While the event takes place on May 7th, advanced giving is now open!
“LifeShare’s mission is to connect donors and the lives they impact,” says Mandi Johnson, Director of Community Engagement. “By participating in this event, our donors have the opportunity to double the impact in their local community.”
LifeShare is honored to partner with the following local businesses who are committed to strengthening the community’s blood supply by their sponsorship of blood drives and financial contributions during this year’s Give for Good: Gallagher, Gibsland Bank & Trust, Kendra Scott, Mercedes Benz of Shreveport, and Roadrunner Car Wash.
Go to a baseball park on any day you choose and you’re almost always going to see something you’ve never seen before.
Like Saturday in a CUSA game in Ruston when the Sam Houston catcher had apparently tied the game at 5-5 after he hit a ball way, way over the fence in left with two out in the eighth inning and then — was credited with only a triple, and was called out, and saw the inning end …
… because he failed to touch home plate.
A “homer” that would have tied the game ends as a triple with a mythical “ghost runner” forever stranded at third. Louisiana Tech held its 5-4 lead in the ninth to win.
The catcher Is Walker Janek, by all accounts one of the best all-around dudes on the Sam Houston team and one of the best players in the college game. A junior, he’s expected to be one of the first catchers chosen in the big-league draft.
But he missed home, the only base with an extra side, five instead of four. The most critical of all your bases.
Doesn’t matter that he just barely missed it, stepping over the plate to celebrate with a waiting teammate, missing the plate’s front edge by, as replays showed, the smallest of margins.
Had he been wearing a size 13 instead of a 12-and-a-half, the game would have been tied.
Happens to the best of us.
Such a rule almost seems to go against the spirit of things. He did, after all, hit it way, WAY out. BUT …
Rules is rules. Brings to mind a phrase so familiar that it’s part of the American lexicon: “You gotta touch all the bases” or “Touch’em all” or “Let’s touch base on this later.”
If a guy forgets to do one thing, he “forgot to touch all the bases.”
It’s the little things, especially so it seems in baseball.
If Glinda the Good Witch of the North had been there, and had this been Oz and not Ruston, maybe Janek could have tapped his cleats together three times and been given a do-over.
But such is sports. And life. Break a rule, break a heart.
Garrett Belding knows a thing or two about touching home. He played high school ball around Dallas, was a middle infielder for Eastfield College in Mesquite, then came to Tech to be an equipment manager and is now the program’s Director of Player Development, part of a Bulldog support staff second to none.
Why he came back to Tech? Home. Where his daddy grew up and where his granddaddy, Billy “Doc” Belding, served as Tech’s athletic trainer during football’s national championship days of the early 1970s. Lots of tears shed and smiles of precious memories shared last spring when Doc passed away.
Garrett Belding knows about home. He was a little boy in Ruston. Knew his way around campus and around the old Love Field and Aillet Stadium and the field house.
For this stage of his career, he’s home where he knew he belonged.
So it should have come as no surprise that Saturday as Janek rounded third, Belding, leaning on the dugout rail by Tech coach Lane Burroughs, was looking closely when Janek made a little hop over the plate and …
“In that split second,” Belding said, “I’m thinking, ‘He didn’t touch home. For whatever reason, he didn’t touch it.’ And then I start losing my mind…”
And then Burroughs gets in on it and the players erupt and then the home fans start yelling and standing (as if EVERYONE saw it!, and imagine me typing a laughing face here) and Tech made the proper appeal and the home plate umpire, who pictures reveal was looking right at the plate as Janek crossed, signaled “Out.”
Replays proved him right.
“I didn’t expect that, but I saw it,” Belding said, “and then it’s disbelief, and then you start to try to re-convince yourself you saw it, and then I decided that this is the hill I’d die on, because I was SURE he didn’t touch it.”
Within the next half minute, the Bulldogs were successfully appealing the play, and the ump’s fist was in the air. Tech still held the lead. They’d end the weekend series in first place in CUSA.
“I wasn’t really looking for it, and I wouldn’t say I was the only one who saw it, but I know this,” said Belding, a future coach as sure as sunrise. “However long I’m in the game, however long I’m a coach, I will never NOT watch a guy run the bases, and I’ll always make sure they step on home plate. Always.”
Tech’s designated hitter and ace reliever Ethan “Toolbox” Bates (he’s got ’em all, every baseball tool you need, plus he can fix your four-wheeler), got the save that afternoon after pitching a scoreless ninth and leads the college game with 14 this season, and he leads all active players in career saves with 24.
But the unofficial save Saturday, a big one, went to Garrett Belding.
And Sunday afternoon, when Tech leftfielder Adarius Myers hit a three-run walk-off homer for a 12-9 win and the series sweep, you can guess which base his celebrating teammates gave him plenty of room to touch.
The Tin Roof BBQ Food Truck will hold a ribbon cutting at the DeSoto Parish Chamber of Commerce Office, 115 N Washington Ave, Thursday, May 2, 2024 at 10:30am.
The DeSoto Parish Tourism Commission will host the River City Fest in Logansport May 10 – 11. The 41st Annual event on the Sabine River is FREE to the public. There will be an inflatable kid zone, Kids Bucking Rodeo, Car Show, corn hole tournament, “Strongest Arm-Wrestling”, fireworks, and live entertainment.
DeSoto Parish Schools is excited to announce that Megan Descant, a Biology and biomedical sciences teacher, and Christina White, a Geometry teacher at North DeSoto High School, have been named 2024 Exemplary Educators by the Louisiana State Department of Education. This annual honor recognizes teachers, teacher specialists, and school leaders who represent excellence in education.
This year, stakeholders across the state submitted recommendations for the 2024 Louisiana Exemplary Educator Recognition Program through a confidential process. The candidates were unaware of their recommendations.
Exceptional educational talent as evidenced by effective and innovative instructional practices and student learning results in the classroom and school;
Exemplary educational accomplishments and leadership beyond the classroom that provide models of excellence for the profession.
Individuals whose contributions to education are largely unheralded yet worthy of the spotlight;
Early- to mid-career educators (minimum of five years) who offer strong long-range potential for professional and policy leadership
An engaging and inspiring presence that motivates and impacts students, colleagues, and the community.
Mrs. Megan Descant has been an educator for thirteen years. She spent the first four years of her career as a science teacher at Haughton High School with the Bossier Parish Schools System and the past nine years at North DeSoto High School with the DeSoto Parish Schools System.
Mrs. Descant teaches Biology, PLTW Principles of Biomedical Science, and PLTW Medical Interventions. She also serves as the NDHS yearbook sponsor. She earned a Bachelor’s in Kinesiology and a Master of Teaching from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA.
Mrs. Descant says, “Being nominated for Exemplary Educator in Louisiana is a tremendous honor. It’s not just an award; it’s a recognition of teachers’ hard work and dedication to helping students learn and grow. It’s a reminder of the impact teachers can have on shaping young lives and preparing them for the future. I’m proud to be a part of a profession that makes a difference every day.”
Mrs. Christina White has been in education for nineteen years and began teaching in the DeSoto Parish Schools at North DeSoto High School in 2018. She has taught at all levels, from 3rd grade math to her current instruction in Geometry, including Special Education Inclusion. Mrs. White earned a Bachelor of Elementary Education from Northwestern State University in 1999 and completed her secondary math certification in 2019. She coached the first-ever North DeSoto Tennis Team in 2023 and accomplished a winning season with a state tournament qualifier.
Mrs. White says,” I am truly honored to be considered an Exemplary Educator! This means that my love of teaching and math and my love of my students is being translated in a way that reaches people inside and outside of the classroom. DeSoto Parish provides a perfect environment for me to grow in my profession and help students reach their goals.”
North DeSoto High School Principal Tamela Phillips offers high praise for these two educators.
“We are so excited for these two wonderful ladies and are blessed to have them serving our students daily. They both exemplify excellence inside and outside of their classroom; they are amazing teachers and embody the DeSoto Difference.”
Exemplary Educators will receive a certificate of recognition, honored during a Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) meeting, and may be invited to participate on advisory boards and task forces, as well as be considered for other state and national recognition programs.
SULPHUR – Whenever the high school softball season starts in February, North DeSoto fans can pretty much go ahead and book a hotel room in Sulphur.
The Lady Griffins will be making their 10th straight state tournament appearance, meaning this year’s senior class was seven and eight years old the last time the “ND” jerseys haven’t made an appearance at Frasch Park.
No. 1 seed North DeSoto (29-4) will attempt to take one step closer to a fourth straight state title when the Lady Griffins do battle with No. 4 North Vermilion at noon.
These two teams were scheduled to play earlier this month, but the game was cancelled. North Vermilion has yet to allow a run in these playoffs, blanking No. 13 Minden (5-0 score) and outdueling No. 5 seed Iowa in a 1-0 decision.
North DeSoto ace Laney Johnson has a similar playoff experience, allowing just one run in a combined 13 innings on just seven hits.
Johnson has taken on the primary pitching role this season after sharing that responsibility with Aly Delafield this past season.
The Griffins supply a bit more offense, outscoring their two playoff opponents (No. 16 Cecilia and No. 9 Iota) by a score of 20-1.
Raegan Henderson belted three home runs against Iota as seven of North DeSoto’s 10 hits cleared the fence.
Mia Norwood and Maddie Stringer have homered in each of the playoff wins as North DeSoto has 10 home runs in those two games.
Should North DeSoto defeat North Vermilion, the Lady Griffins will take on the winner of No. 2 Lutcher and No. 6 Grant.
North DeSoto topped Grant 7-1 earlier this season.
A fourth straight state championship would mean this senior class hasn’t ended a season any other way than hoisting a trophy.
The program has six state titles since 2015, the first three under Lori McFerren and the second three under the direction of Tim Whitman.
Whitman has a combined eight state championships at Pineville, Ouachita and North DeSoto.
Municipal General Election, Saturday, April 27, 2024
Voters in District 2 (North DeSoto Schools) will head to the polls tomorrow to vote on a newly revised bond proposal for capital improvements. The original bond proposal was defeated in November 2023.
There is also a parish-wide millage renewal on the ballot.
RAYNE – North DeSoto starting pitcher Caleb Roles battled Rayne effectively Thursday in the first game of a best-of-three series, but the Griffin bats couldn’t generate juice in a 3-0 loss.
The No. 9 seed Griffins (22-9) will fight for their playoffs lives Friday, playing the second game at 4 p.m. with an if-necessary game at 6:30 p.m.
Rayne collected three of their six hits in the first inning, and three singles led to a bases-loaded RBI groundout from Mark Frederick for the game’s first run.
Three of North DeSoto’s five hits came in the first two innings, but the Griffins couldn’t manufacture a run.
Blake McFerren singled in the first inning with Reni Mason and Brayden Toothman hitting singles in the second inning, but the Griffins couldn’t advance a runner past second base.
That was North DeSoto’s only runner in scoring position as Rayne pitcher Peyton Daigle worked around five hits (all singles) and one hit-by-pitch in seven innings.
Cole Cory and Trysten Hopper provide the other singles for North DeSoto.
After a single, a stolen base and ground out advanced Rayne’s Lon Paul Moody to third base, a Grant Simon line out increased the lead to 2-0 in the third inning.
Simon drove in Rayne’s third and final run in the fifth inning on another line out. Roles issued both of his walks to start the frame, and those runners moved into scoring position on a passed ball.
STANLEY – The Stanley baseball team jumped on Bell City pitching early and often Wednesday as the Panthers rolled to a 12-3 win the second round of the Division V Non-Select playoffs. The No. 4 seed Stanley (21-6) scored runs in each of the first five innings to dispose of the No. 13 seed visitors and advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2015. Stanley collected nine hits and eight walks as they kept pressure on Bell City all night. Two walks started off Stanley’s first inning, which was highlighted by a bunt single RBI from Clayton Smith to put Stanley on the board. Stanley blew the game open with a five-run second inning. Nolan Loftin doubled in two runs before Peyton Rogers and Smith RBIs and a score on a passed ball handed Stanley a 6-0 lead. Smith (2-for-3, three RBIs) was the only Panther with multiple hits, but Loftin and Jackson Moton each added two RBIs. Loftin also scored a team-high three runs. That was plenty of support for starting pitcher Jace Gooden, who pitched four scoreless innings before Bell City struck for three runs in the fifth inning. But Stanley still led 10-3 after that. Gooden scattered six hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings with Gavin Waldron and Logan Maroney combining for 2 1/3 scoreless relief innings. Stanley will play the winner of No. 5 Quitman and No. 12 Doyline, who squared off late Thursday.
Louisiana Christian University held its 63rd Annual Honors Convocation Tuesday, recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of students in academics and athletics.
Caleb Williams, of Frierson, received the Vocal Achievement Award in Music.
“What a great day to celebrate our students,” said Acting President Dr. David Jeffreys. “It was a living testimony of how Louisiana Christian University prepares graduates and transforms lives.” In addition to the recognition of students, seven faculty were awarded endowed chairs or professorships.
It’s finally time to put forward-facing sonar to rest. Last week, I gave a great breakdown on this topic. Now, I’m tired of all the debates about banning this new technology. I’m tired of hearing all the whining from anglers who either can’t master it or just refuse to learn it. It’s time to put this topic to rest and move forward!
This controversy is no different from any other issues that have arisen in other sports. This is not about some drug that enhances an angler’s ability to perform and fish better. It has nothing to do with any one angler having a bigger advantage over another. Why? Because every angler has the right and access to the same technology as the next one.
The problem with this controversy is the fact that it’s not the young anglers who are complaining. It’s the guys who have helped build the sport of professional bass fishing into what it is today. It’s the legends of the sport and guys who have made a good living fishing with B.A.S.S. or Major League Fishing (MLF). They don’t like the fact that today’s young anglers are stepping out onto the big stage and not just competing with them but winning tournaments. They feel that forward-facing sonar is the only reason this is happening. So rather than get on board and improve, some have chosen to file complaints. I relate to this topic the same way I had to become a better hitter to get the opportunity to get drafted by Major League Baseball.
One thing that separates an average hitter from a great hitter is the ability to hit the curve ball. This has kept more baseball players out of the highest level than any other baseball skill. I was only an average hitter until I got better and learned how to go with the pitch. But I spent two years of my college career getting better, spending countless hours hitting in a batting cage and working off a batting tee. This was hours of what is referred to as soft toss and programming my body to hit the curve ball and go with the pitch.
I didn’t complain to Major League Baseball and push for a “no curve ball rule!” No, I worked at it and got better by putting in the work! These fishing pros need to apply this same effort. Instead of using the offseason to go hunting, it might be a promising career move to get on the lake and get better using forward-facing sonar.
Here’s some food for thought. If the older anglers on tour were winning with this new technology, would anyone be complaining about it? If Rick Clunn or Kevin Van Dam was kicking everyone’s butt with it, I’ll bet a dollar-to-a-donut that all pros would be figuring out how to get better with forward-facing sonar! So, for all the anglers who just can’t grasp this new forward-facing technology, you have two choices: either get better with it or load your boats and go home. You cannot stop technology in an age where a new computer today is out of date before the end of the month you bought it.
Like any other advancement in the bass fishing world, forward-facing sonar is here to stay. Stop waiting on B.A.S.S. or MLF to make rule changes to accommodate the older anglers. In the words of my team partner, who got tired of my negative complaining, “Shut up and fish, you big baby!”
Logansport pitcher Avery Creech watched beside her teammates as Oak Grove erased a one-run lead and heaped on the runs to end the Lady Tigers’ 2023 season in the quarterfinals.
Creech dislocated her patella in her knee in the third game of the season and was relegated to a support role as she missed the rest of her junior season.
But with another chance at Sulphur on the line, it was Creech who had the ball in her hands instead of watching from the dugout.
Creech led No. 1 seed Logansport to a 12-2 against Vinton, surrendering just two hits and striking out 10 batters to send the Lady Tigers to Sulphur and the state semifinals.
Logansport will face No. 5 seed French Settlement today at noon in Sulphur in the Division IV semis. “It means the world to me,” Creech said in a video interview. “When I got hurt last year, my role was to be a good teammate, you’re here for your teammates, you’re cheering them on.
“Now it means the world to me to be here with my teammates who supported me and to know that we have a good shot at Sulphur.”
Creech has been masterful in the circle, compiling a 16-3 record with a 2.9 ERA, allowing just two runs total Logansport’s two playoff wins.
Coach and father Kyle Creech said he’s seen a renewed energy from his daughter and ace pitcher. “The work ethic I’ve seen from her and the tremendous amount of focus she’s had is remarkable,” Kyle Creech said of Avery, who broke the program’s record for strikeouts this month and now has more than 400. “When she got hurt last year, that kind of reignited her passion for softball.
“Being relegated to the sidelines is tough. It was this time last year that she was finally able to do some drills and spins, and she understood how important it was to rehab as good as she has.”
The lengthy rehab occurred because Creech tore her medial patellofemoral ligament, the one that holds the patella in place. Surgery repaired the tendon, and it was up to Creech to regain her strength.
“She’s picked up right where she left off,” Kyle Creech said. “She was poised to have a tremendous year in the preseason, and she’s got back to where she was from a velocity standpoint.
“To do what she’s done against the quality of opponents we’ve faced, I’m happy with how she’s performed.”
While the senior has pitched the lion’s share of innings (almost 70 percent), the experience other pitchers like Ainsley Morvan and Kennedi Smith gained in Creech’s absence will be key in Logansport’s bid for a state championship this weekend.
“That’s extremely important because as good as Avery has been, when you 24 games, it’s far from a one-man show,” said Kyle Creech, who added that the offense has clubbed 44 home runs this season. “If Avery hits a wall or the opponent gets on her, we have arms that have experience in key situations.
“Avery has handled it well when opponents do starting hitting her, but there are times when you have to go somewhere else. And we have options that we can lean on.”
If Logansport beats French Settlement on Friday, there’s a good chance that the Lady Tigers will see district foe and No. 3 seed Montgomery in the championship game Saturday at noon. Montgomery won the regular season meeting in comeback fashion, scoring four runs in the final two innings of a 5-4 win.
Whatever the weekend holds, Kyle Creech said it’s been a joy to coach his daughter and to see how his assistant coaches help balance the father-coach relationship.
“The dad-daughter dynamic can be frustrating at times, but I’m extremely grateful that I’ve been in this position.” Kyle Creech said. “I’ve always been blessed with really good assistants, and for the longest time Avery had Elizabeth Delafield and now it’s Bailey Culbern and Jennifer Wheeless.
“It’s a tough position for a dad as a coach because I push her really, really hard. You get to that breaking point, and you lean on those assistants to take away the Dad part. I let them coach her a lot, and it does get hard on her, hard to separate at times. But I’ve enjoyed every minute of coaching all of these seniors because these girls have been with me for a long time.”
The weekend won’t be Avery Creech’s last in the circle as she’s signed to pitch for National Park College, a community college in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
The 2nd annual City of Lights crawfish cookoff hosted by the Natchitoches Parish Fair Board will be held on May 4th at the fairgrounds. Teams will be boiling their best recipes competing for cash prizes and people’s choice.
This event is open to the public, 11 am to 5 pm for only $30 – all-you-can-eat crawfish!!! There will be live entertainment provided by the Comeback Kids & the Born to Boogie band. A Taste of Heaven Food Truck, Cane River Pizza Co., snow cones, Murphy’s Sweets & eats, a bouncy house play area for the kids, and Antoons will be selling beer to that id as 21 and over.
No ice chests or outside food or drinks will be allowed, bags will be checked, and lawn chairs are recommended. Visit our 2nd annual City of Lights crawfish cookoff Facebook page to find sponsorship and /or registration information to enter a team or to purchase pre-sale tickets.
All proceeds from this event will benefit the NRMC Cancer Center. So come to the fairgrounds on May 4th to support this great cause.
