Martinez Land Offering

Offers Due by:  Friday, September 13, 2024 at 3:00 pm Central Time

Closing Date: Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at 3:00 pm Central (or sooner)

Land Offered: Approximately 2,837.896+/- acres. (comprised of several tracts)

Contact: henry@echotitlecompany.com

Phone: 318-236-6000

VIEW & DOWNLOAD BID PACKAGE

VIEW & DOWNLOAD THE TRACTS

My grandson said, “This is supposed to be the happiest place on earth.”

He was at Disney World. Last week the family took a trip to Disney World in Orlando. Nana had her two children and her two grandchildren in the Magic Kingdom. The trip was perfected by granddad staying home in north Louisiana. I told the truth, “I don’t do Disney.”

n Thursday night the whole tribe had an unscheduled, unplanned adventure. In the park two unrelated events happened. The first was a fight. The second was a balloon popping. The second event stirred alarms, and the park went into active shooter mode. People went diving into shops. They hid in storage rooms. They ducked under clothes racks. A few people got to experience the secret walkway behind all the shops. My six all managed to dive for safety together. The situation lasted for only twenty minutes or so. I can’t imagine the feelings.

It was at that point that our oldest grandson issued his commentary on the event. The happiest place on earth was on active shooter lockdown. He was stuffed into a closet with a bunch of strangers. I don’t believe the story was picked up outside of the Orlando news media. Everyone was safe.

This falls under the general heading of “stuff happens.”

When it does, what is your plan of action?

It is interesting that the Bible assumes that “stuff happens.” All sorts of stuff happened to the righteous man Job. His friends asked why. The New Testament writers told the early church, don’t be surprised when hard times come. They happen to test and purify our faith.

John’s gospel records Jesus saying, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” In John’s gospel the story of Jesus in the boat with the disciples on the stormy night was told differently. In John’s version of the story, Jesus does not calm the storm. John informs his readers, “The boat landed on the other shore.” It illustrates how Jesus overcomes trouble.

John’s point is perfect when life at the happiest place on earth goes on lockdown. Jesus may not calm all storms, but your faith in Him will get you to your destination.

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

You can contact Doug at dougsponderings@gmail.com

MANY – The “Road to the Dome” is a lengthy one, one that Logansport intends to travel after falling in the Division IV Non-Select semifinals as the No. 1 seed.

That road won’t go through Logansport early this season as the program is completing impressive renovations to its football stadium, which includes new football stands and a jumbotron.

Logansport begins its early-season road trip by heading south to Sabine Parish to take on the Many Tigers on Friday at 7 p.m.

It’s the Tigers’ first of three road games to begin the season, heading to Loyola and Bossier in the next two weeks.

Logansport will lean on a big offensive line and talented backfield against a Many team that’s traditionally as physical.

The Tigers dropped both of its jamboree contests, a 6-0 loss to Mansfield and a 14-0 loss to North DeSoto.

But coach Kevin Magee said the jamboree served its purposes as Logansport prepares for the regular season.

“It was an opportunity to see our kids in live action against two quality opponents,” Magee said. “There were lots of teachable moments that we will clean up heading into Week One against Many.

“Many has a great winning tradition and also has been a hostile environment to which we will need to overcome early.”

Many, who reached the quarterfinals of the Division III Non-Select bracket, is dealing with disappointment from its own jamboree, a 30-0 loss to Jena at ULM’s Bayou Jamb.

Magee said Many has transitioned to a more modern offense while still employing a “super aggressive” defense.

“Our kids do see this style of offense on a daily basis,” Magee said. “Offensively, we will definitely lean on our offensive line and the two extremely talented guys in the backfield early to set the tempo.

“As the game moves on, hopefully we can play complimentary football in the passing game.”
Jukadynn Carter, the reigning District 3-1A Offensive MVP, will pair with Tonashton Bland to form a 1-2 running back punch.

They’ll support first-year starter Keaton Cason under center as Logansport develops its passing game.

Bass fishing can be frustrating and winning tournaments is even more frustrating. But when it comes to anglers helping one another, that’s a whole different story. Today, I’ll give you an angler’s perspective on why tournament bass fishermen don’t like to give away or share information on how they are catching bass.

The main reason for angler secrecy is because in today’s bass tournament world that is so competitive, it’s hard to make a top 10 and tougher to get a win. There are times when an angler might be catching fish and doing good enough to get a check but not good enough to win. The difference between getting a check or winning can be something as subtle as what size line you might be using.

Example, if you’re doing good and catching fish in 10 to 12 feet of water on a crankbait and using 17-pound test line, but you find out after the tournament that the guy who won the event, also caught his fish on the same crankbait using 12-pound test line. Why did line size make a difference? It’s because 12-pound test allowed his bait to dive down deeper into the 15-foot range where the bigger bass were set up. But I was catching smaller bass higher in the water column at 12 feet The bigger fish were deeper in 15 feet of water.

When it comes to sharing, tournament anglers are worse than a kid sharing his new toy on Christmas morning. They laugh at the idea of sharing their new toy! It’s like asking Vice President Kamala Harris a difficult political question. All you’re going to get is a kackling laugh. Anglers are no different; they are the worst at giving out any type of information that they feel might give their opponent an advantage or a leg up on their competition. When I say it’s every man for himself in tournament bass fishing, that’s exactly what I mean!

Now there are few exceptions on information sharing and this is where the buddy system kicks in. I’ve got a small clique of three or four anglers that I trust when it comes to information. These are usually guys that I room with on the road or have been friends with for a long time.

These are guys that I eat dinner with and if I have a mechanical break down on the lake, I can make one phone call to any one of these guys and they will come to my rescue. But these are guys that I trust and would like to think won’t lie to me. Now they might leave out a couple of key details on what they are doing, but that’s just the way ALL anglers are when it comes to information. They’ll share, but only in small amounts.

I have other friends who I fish against, and most are great guys. While they won’t necessarily lie to you, they will send you down a rabbit hole with bad information. Oh, they’ll give you information, it just won’t be anything that will really help. We as anglers call this information “dock talk.” This is what tournament anglers want to stay away from because the information they are giving out is designed to throw you off.

I’ve also learned over my 34 years of tournament fishing, that the only person you can really trust is yourself. Don’t rely on other anglers to feed you information that might or might not help you land more fish. Do your homework (scouting) and trust yourself to go out and find your own fish. Because at the end of the day, once all the fish are weighed in and you’re in line to get a check, the only name on the check…. is yours!

Till next time, good luck, good fishing and take advantage of some great fall fishing while all the deer hunters are in the woods and not on the lake.
Steve Graf
Angler’s Perspective

Martha Jane Canary was among the most famous women of the nineteenth century. Tales of her exploits were printed in newspapers across the country, but most of us have never heard her name.

Martha was born in Princeton, Missouri, in 1851. In 1864, she traveled with her family to the gold fields of Montana to claim their fortune. By all accounts, the silver mine camps of Montana were a rough place to raise a family. In 1866, Martha’s mother died. In the following year, her father also died. Fifteen-year-old Martha was solely responsible for the care of her much younger siblings, seven-year-old Lena and five-year-old Elijah. Shortly after her parents’ deaths, Martha abandoned her younger siblings and moved around from town to town. Most people that knew her described her as absolutely ordinary in every way with the exception of her extraordinary love for whiskey.

Martha could tell a good story and the central character in her tales was always herself. In the nineteenth century, before technology allowed people to verify or discredit tales such as Martha’s within seconds, it was difficult to determine if her stories were true or false. Mark Twain once said, “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.” Being a contemporary of hers, Mark Twain could have easily aimed this quote at Martha.

Martha was illiterate. She left no letters or journals behind for historians to mine. Although historians have searched through countless records over the past century, not even a single signature of Martha’s has been found. Had she been able to write, it is possible that she could have become a well-respected author such as Mark Twain. Because she was illiterate, her stories were published by numerous authors who were eager to cash in on her tales. Martha was a master at creating her own identity, and the public was enthralled by tales of her exploits. As was customary at this time of high illiteracy, people gathered in small groups, paid a small fee of a penny or two each, to have someone read her stories to them. There were tales of bandits, battles with Indians, and at least one stagecoach robbery. In all of the tales, Martha was the heroine. Rumors spread that Martha was with General George Armstrong Custer at his last stand. Martha told a newspaper reporter in Billings, Montana, “That is wrong. I was with Custer for several months and in different engagements, but if I had been with him in his last battle, I would probably be with him now. On the other hand, had Custer paid attention to warnings and a message I sent him, he and his brave band might be now in the land that I am in.” Again, Martha masterfully connected herself to a significant historical event.

Many of Martha’s stories were little more than fantasy. People that knew her, described her as being generous and courteous when not intoxicated. When on a drinking binge, they condemned her wild behavior. She refused to conform to what were the generally accepted customs of society. In a time when a woman could have been arrested for dressing in men’s clothing, she wore the buckskin suit of a scout. She was arrested on numerous occasions in numerous towns for “drinking and carousing on the public streets.” She openly smoked cigarettes and cigars, which was taboo for women at the time. Whenever Martha arrived in a town, newspaper reporters printed notes of welcome, but by the time she left town they had soured to her presence due to her hard drinking, carousing, and self-destructive ways.

Martha had no trouble finding work but had trouble keeping it due to her drinking. She once worked as a cook in a brothel run by Dora DuFran. Dora recalled that Martha had been sober for a full six weeks. On the day after one payday, Martha bought some new calico aprons, underwear, and other clothing accessories, but Martha failed to arrive at work the following morning. Dora remembered that “from the distance came wild howls.” Dora said “the old urge overcame [Martha’s] good resolution.” They found her on a whiskey binge wearing, not her new clothing, but her buckskin suit.

In 1876, she purportedly ended up in a wagon train with another famous figure, James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok. Martha and Wild Bill certainly knew of each other but how well is up for debate. Both of their reputations preceded them, although both reputations were exaggerated. Many people claimed they were nothing more than two people who happened to end up in the same town, while others argued that they had a relationship somewhere on the spectrum between a one-night stand to marriage. Wild Bill was murdered while playing poker in 1876. Martha kept silent on the subject of their relationship but used the rumors to bolster her own image as she had several photographs of herself standing in front of his grave. Although there was no documentation that they were officially married, when she died in 1903, she was buried next to Wild Bill per her request.

In one tale which supposedly happened in 1872, Martha was a scout for Captain James Egan in a campaign against the Nez Perces Indians. During one battle of the campaign, Captain Egan was shot by one of the Indians. Martha killed the Indian, put Captain Egan across the saddle of her horse, and rode at full speed to safety as Indians fired upon them. According to her own account, it was because of this moment that Captain Egan called Martha “the Heroine of the Plains” and gave her a nickname which stuck. Martha Jane’s contemporaries argued that this event never happened. Rather than the fascinating tale that Martha Jane told, she probably earned the nickname because of her self-destructive habits. Few people remember the name Martha Jane Canary, but she was a walking calamity. You know her as Calamity Jane.

Sources:

1. The Billings News, July 13, 1901, p.1.

2. The Livingston Enterprise, July 13, 1901, p.1.

3. The Herald-Advance, August 7, 1903, p.1.

4. The Madison Daily Leader, August 19, 1903, p.4.

5. McLaird, James D., “Calamity Jane: The Life and the Legend.” South Dakota Historical Society Press, July 31, 2023,sdpb.org/rural-life-and-history/2023-07-31/calamity-jane-the-life-and-the-legend.

Ayden Wade Linger
February 10, 2022 — August 30, 2024
Service: Thursday, September 5, 2024, 11am at Rose Neath Funeral Homes – Mansfield

Kenneth Ray Gannon
July 31, 1941 — September 1, 2024
Service: Friday, September 6, 2024, 2pm at Rose Neath Funeral Homes – Mansfield

News release from DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office
AUGUST 30, 2024
SHERIFF JAYSON RICHARDSON
DESOTO PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE

At 12:25pm today, August, 30th, 2024, a call was received by a 911 dispatcher regarding a two year old male child believed to have been struck by a vehicle in the 1200 block of Sloan Road off of Highway 175.

First Responders immediately made their way to the location at which time the child was transported by family to the nearby Fire District #8. From there, the child was transported to DeSoto Regional in Mansfield where he was pronounced deceased.

While this incident does appear to be a tragic accident, further details will be withheld at this moment in time so a proper investigation can take place. It is a day no family or first responder wants to have, but we appreciate everyone who responded and assisted in this incident.

Sheriff Richardson, Dispatchers, Responders, and staff send their heartfelt condolences to the family and friends affected as they begin to navigate the days ahead.

Matt Vines

Logansport High product John Stephens Jr. has found a home at tight end after a modest collegiate career as a receiver.

Stephens Jr. made the final 53-man roster for the Dallas Cowboys, surging to the No. 3 tight end position as the Cowboys traded tight end Peyton Hendershot, who had appeared in 25 games the past two seasons.

Stephens has beefed up to 245 pounds, and standing at 6-foot-5, he’s a size mismatch for defensive backs but fast enough to cause problems for linebackers in coverage.

After finishing his college career in 2022, an injury sidetracked his 2023 efforts to make a professional roster.

But a healthy Stephens muscled his way onto the final roster this season.

As college receiver, he caught 14 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns in his final season at UL Lafayette.

He wasn’t a focal point at Texas Christian in his first college stop, and he totaled under 200 receiving yards in his first ULL campaign in 2021.

The Logansport standout was ranked the No. 1 athlete in Louisiana as a high school senior and No. 61 overall athlete in the nation.

Registration open for North DeSoto Wrestling Academy, NDHS girls team
Youth interested in exploring the world of wrestling can join the North DeSoto Wrestling Academy.

Wrestlers compete throughout the fall with three practices per week (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays).

Parents can register their children on Sept. 5 at the North DeSoto Upper Elementary Gym from 4-8 p.m.

The cost for the season is $400, with $200 due on Sept. 5. The cost covers team uniforms, USAW insurance and team enrollment.

High school girls interested in competing are invited to attend a student/parent meeting Sept. 9 in the NDHS Library at 6 p.m.

The LHSAA membership approved girls high school wrestling as a championship sport, meaning girls will no longer have to wrestle against boys.

For more information on either initiative, contact coach Dustin Burton at 318-617-9277.

On the night of August 24, Vernon Parish volunteer fire departments and Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) fire crews were dispatched to the area off Highway 465 north of Simpson. Investigators say that on August 23, after the logging crew left for work, several pieces of logging equipment and timber caught fire. The fire destroyed one skidder and damaged another skidder and loader, with a total value of over $500,000.

Investigators with LDAF’s Enforcement Division determined this wildfire to have been caused by arson. LDAF investigators and Vernon Parish sheriff’s detectives are actively investigating this matter.

If you or anyone you know have any information, investigators urge you to call law enforcement. To report an arsonist, call LDAF at 1 (855) 452-5323 or the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office at (337) 238-1311.

Note: All persons accused of any crime are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

On September 14, 2024, the First Methodist Church of Coushatta is inviting everyone to walk through the history of Methodism. In 1824, the Sabine District, which encompassed Sabine, Natchitoches, Desoto, and Bienville, began in what is now Red River Parish. Circuit riders moved through the area, creating small groups of Methodist and area churches.

This celebration will honor the history of the Wesleyan movement in this area and bring people from all walks of life together. You may be from a Global Methodist Church, Southern Methodist, or a United Methodist church in the area. Maybe you are from an African Methodist Episcopal Church or a Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. You may be a history buff or someone from another denomination who would like to join in the day. If any of these apply to you, you are welcome to attend.

If your church would like to display your historical artifacts, share your oral and written history, and fellowship with other churches, email office@fmccoushatta.org.

Anyone with questions may contact First Methodist Church Coushatta at 932-4069, Karen Squires at 318-272-1468, or Norma Lester at 337-606-1563.

The DeSoto Parish Police Jury will hold their regular meeting Tuesday, September 3 beginning at 5pm. The meeting will be held in the Police Jury Meeting room.

ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS
1. Authorize the President to execute a Resolution for Cypress Energy Corporation requesting the DeSoto Parish Police Jury place for sealed bid with Louisiana Department of Natural Resources.
2. Authorize reinstating IBTS 3rd party provider service in the unincorporated areas of the Parish
3. Authorize the Krewe of Demeter to host an outside event at the David Means 4H Building (50 Mile of Treasures Oct 12. from 7-3)
4. Authorize the Administrator to execute the Cleco Power LLC Servitude Agreement
5. Authorize the President to execute a Resolution delegating to the Clerk of Court to recommend election day polling locations to the DPPJ

BUDGET AND FINANCE ITEMS
1. Amend the General Fund Budget up to $90,000 (additional funding) for repairs and additions to the splash pad at the Alumni Park
2. Amend the General Fund Budget in the amount of $60,000 for election expenses

PARKS AND RECREATIONAL ITEMS
1. Discuss DeSoto Athletics cutting a baseball diamond at the Alumni Park and DPPJ purchasing the equipment

ROAD ITEMS
1. Authorize the Road Crew to remove trees and correct erosion on Laura Street
2. Discuss and take action regarding speed bumps on thorough roads
3. Authorize the E911 naming of Star City Pvt Ln south of Boyd Road in Grand
Cane
4. Authorize the Road Department to install a culvert on the west entrance of
property 767 HWY 3015 and place some riprap under the existing outfall culvert
on main driveway

It sounds like Vincenzo Peruggia could have gotten the idea from a Hollywood movie, but it’s actually the other way around. Hollywood scriptwriters got their ideas from Vincenzo. Pietro Vincenzo Antonio Peruggia was born on October 8, 1881, in Dumenza, Italy, about 50 miles north of Milan. Vincenzo was an amateur painter, art lover, and a proud Italian. Just as an animal lover’s dream job would be to work in a zoo, in 1908 Vincenzo got a job in a museum in Paris framing and reframing artwork. He was a glazier, a glass fitter. His skill as an amateur painter gave him a certain finesse in his work.

At about 7:00 on the morning of August 21, 1911, Vincenzo arrived at work as usual.  Over his clothes he wore his white smock, the same as all other employees at the museum wore.  On the surface, there was nothing to signify that this day would be any different than any other, but Vincenzo had a plan.  While working at the museum, Vincenzo became obsessed with the idea of stealing one of the Italian paintings and returning it to Italy.  He realized that no one would suspect him because he had worked at the museum for over four years.  On that Monday morning, Vincenzo waited until the room was unoccupied, then put his plan into motion.  He took the painting off the wall and carried it to a nearby stairway where he removed it from its frame.  He hid the discarded frame among some student artworks which were sitting on the landing of the staircase.  Vincenzo was unable to roll the painting up because the artist had painted it on a piece of wood.  Vincenzo wrapped his white smock around the painting, tucked it under his arm, and walked out the same door that he had entered earlier that morning.  When other employees noticed the empty spot on the wall where the painting had been hung, they notified the police.  They ushered the visitors out with the ruse that a water pipe had burst.   

Police searched the building and found the painting’s discarded frame.  They questioned all of the museum’s permanent employees as well as temporary employees such as bricklayers, carpenters, plumbers, and glaziers.  Police visited Vincenzo at his apartment and questioned him.  When questioning the museum’s employees revealed no leads, investigators figured they had missed something and repeated the process.  Once again, investigators visited Vincenzo’s apartment and questioned him, but they found no reason to suspect Vincenzo.  Vincenzo gave them permission to search his apartment, which disarmed suspicion.  Had investigators glanced inside a large trunk which sat just inches from them in the apartment, they would have found nothing incriminating.  However, if they had noticed that the trunk had a false bottom, they would have solved the crime. 

As per his plan to not raise suspicion, Vincenzo continued working at the museum for two more years.  In 1913, Vincenzo left his job at the museum.  He tried to sell the stolen painting to various dealers in London and Paris, and even offered it to a representative of American financier J.P. Morgan, none of which notified the authorities.  On November 28, 1913, Vincenzo wrote a letter to art dealer Alfred Geri, owner of the Galleria d’Arte Moderna in Florence and offered to sell him the stolen painting.  Alfred agreed to meet once Vincenzo was in Florence.  Vincenzo took the trunk with its hidden cargo to Florence.  On December 11, 1913, Alfred watched as Vincenzo removed the painting from the false bottom of the trunk.  After inspecting the painting, Alfred and Vincenzo purportedly came to some agreement on price and Alfred left the room.  Alfred immediately notified the police of the stolen painting and its hiding place.  Acting on Alfred’s tip, police arrested Vincenzo and slid the painting out from its hiding place.  The face in the painting seemed to almost smile as if happy to have been rescued. 

During questioning, Vincenzo claimed he had no accomplices and explained that accomplices were not necessary.  “I did not take the painting from a desire to gain from it,” he told authorities, “but wished to accomplish a good and holy work by returning to my country one of the many treasures stolen from it.”  Vincenzo said he thought he should receive adequate compensation for returning the painting to Italy.  He neglected to mention that he had tried to sell the painting to people in three other countries before offering it to a dealer in Italy.

 Thus ended what some people have described as the greatest art theft of the 20th century.  The painting that Vincenzo stole was certainly prominent in the art world, but the painting’s theft and eventual return took the painting to another level. For two years, people all around the world saw pictures of the painting and followed the investigation in newspapers. Before it was returned to France, the painting was exhibited in art galleries throughout Italy to jubilant crowds.  When it was returned to France, the celebrations were even larger.  Crowds viewed the painting in a sort of modern concert atmosphere with pushing and shoving and everyone vying for a better view.  Little has changed in the past century.  Throngs of people still visit that same museum, the Louvre, to see that same painting.  Because of Vincenzo Peruggia’s theft, we can instantly produce a mental image of what is arguably the most famous painting in the world, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. 

Sources:

1.     The Baltimore Sun, August 23, 1911, p.13.

2.     The Kansas City Star, August 22, 19011, p.4.

3.     The Tampa Tribune, December 14, 1913, p.81.

4.     St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 15, 1913, p.6.

5.     St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 26, 1913, p.15.

Since its first broadcast in the fall of 2022, Northwestern State has set the standard for ESPN+ production in the region.

Praised for the technical work done with on-screen graphics, the finely tuned audio quality and mixing and well-trained and talented camera work, both in variety of shots and superiority in what they capture, the NSU ESPN+ production represents the best of what Northwestern has to offer.

That network-level production value is heightened by the first-class and experienced on-air talent that helps tell the story with each broadcast.

Patrick Netherton, the longtime voice of the Demons, enters his 22nd season and will handle play-by-play calls of Northwestern football, volleyball, and both men’s and women’s basketball as the Demons begin the 2024-25 athletic home season.

Adam Hester has been added to take over play-by-play duties for NSU soccer with Jason Pugh, Associate Athletic Director for External Operations, set to return to the broadcast booth for Demon baseball.

“What the NSU New Media department has produced on ESPN+ is astounding,” Netherton said. “Led by David Antilley and James Stanfield, the quality of the broadcasts are the best at this level and on par with what much larger crews are putting out. That professionalism is reflected in how much the reach and viewership has grown in just two years.”

NSU’s first home production of the new season will take place Sunday, when soccer hosts Abilene Christian at 12 p.m. The first home volleyball match will take place two days later and Blaine McCorkle and NSU football’s home opener against Prairie View A&M the following Saturday, Sept. 7.

Antilley, a Northwestern alum with more than 30 years of teaching experience, along with a graduate of Northwestern’s department of new media, journalism and communication arts program, James Stanfield, have spearheaded ESPN productions on campus since day one and guided students within the department in hands-on training and production work.

Stanfield is a 2021 graduate of NSU’s communications department that has used the knowledge he gained from working with Antilley at NSU-TV to become the ESPN production coordinator for NSU athletics.

“We get to teach students now what they are going to use in digital sports broadcasting,” Stanfield said. “It’s on a much smaller scale but we are using the same stuff they are using on those national networks – ESPN, ESPN2, CBS, Fox, NBC. We are able to provide students with an even greater understanding of how those productions work than we were before we started with our Plus broadcasts.”

During the 2023-24 athletic year, NSU’s primarily student-based ESPN+ production crew, under Antilley and Stanfield’s supervision, produced 87 live sports broadcasts for seven Demon athletic programs.

Among those events were both of volleyball’s two record-breaking home attendance matches against UCLA on Aug. 28 and against McNeese on Nov. 4 that saw more than 1,000 fans in attendance for each match.

This past basketball season also produced the highest viewed single event since the start of NSU broadcasts on ESPN+ with more than 20,000 unique viewers watching Demon men’s basketball host McNeese on Jan. 8.

Five months later NSU was one of five college baseball games on ESPN+ to air on May 13 as the Demons clinched its spot in the Southland Conference Tournament with a 13-2 win against New Orleans.

“Because so many jobs within each production are open, and having so many opportunities with the amount of home events, students are able to get involved and get incredible practical experience very early on,” Netherton said. “If you want to be prepared for a career in sports media, Northwestern State provides the best opportunity you can find to get your feet wet early.”

Sports media students are the primary resource for roles within a given broadcast but positions are available for any communication major at Northwestern. Of the three concentrations in the department of new media, journalism and communication arts, two of them require students to take classes that lend themselves to work on ESPN+ campus production crews at NSU or any news or sports production company post graduation.

“The work our ESPN+ staff, primarily James Stanfield and Davey Antilley, have done has elevated our production to a level few comparable schools can match,” Director of Athletics Kevin Bostian said. “Their tireless effort and coordination, coupled with the performance of our student workers and volunteers, has provided a compelling viewing experience for those who watch Northwestern State athletics on ESPN+. We are very pleased to be able to construct such a high-level broadcast to bring Demon athletics to a nationwide audience and to connect with our vast alumni base that is scattered throughout the country.”

The DeSoto Parish Cattlemen’s Association held their quarterly meeting this week at the DeSoto Parish Extension Office. Producers were welcomed to the meeting by Mr. Henry Richardson, DPCA President.

LSU AgCenter updates and upcoming events were shared by Joshua Salley, DeSoto Parish County Agent.

Shae Simone, LCA Executive Director, discussed HB 784 which provides relative to liability for damages caused by livestock. She also talked about HB 330 which deals with the sales tax on fencing materials. A very interesting topic presented to the group were the new bills for 2025 which include potentially banning balloon releases and anther about lab grown meat within Louisiana.

The special guest was Alan Sweson with 321 Aerial Services. He spoke on his drone services and how he can benefit local cattle producers.

The main speakers for the evening were Harry Richardson with Lonestar and Brett Richard with Crystalyx. They shared information about their supplement products and how they benefit cattle producers during the feeding season.

A special thanks to Trey Hall for catering the meal.

If you’re interested in becoming a part of the DeSoto Parish Cattlemen’s Association, please contact the DeSoto Parish Extension Office at 318-872-0533.

For the fourth consecutive year, Louisiana will showcase its vibrant culture in the 2025 Tournament of Rose Parade in Pasadena, California.

Lt Governor Billy Nungesser shared in a Facebook post that this year’s float will feature a Louisiana alligator adorned with beads, a Cajun dance hall, and pots of boiled seafood. The scenes perfectly capture the essence of a “Louisiana Saturday Night.”

The post also shared that mid-parade entertainment will be by rising country star Timothy Wayne.

Source: Billy Nungesser Lt. Governor of Louisiana Facebook page

We’ve all heard the expression he or she has God given talent. There are singers like George Strait and Celine Dion, golfers like Tiger Woods and Jack Nicholas, along with baseball players like Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds. So, what does it really mean and what exactly is talent?

I am a firm believer that each of us has some form of talent but not everyone has established what that talent might be. It may take years before we realize we do possess a skill that we may deem as talent. Some people can dance and some can sing, and even though you might not physically see the talent, doesn’t mean you don’t have a talent.

For me personally, I figured out early in my life that God blessed me with athletic talent, especially in baseball. I was born with skills that not everyone possessed, and I took advantage of those skills. But it was through this talent that it gave me the confidence I needed to compete on a baseball diamond at a high level. It allowed me to play in high school, college and later in professional baseball. But it gave me something much greater than being good at a sport, it gave the confidence and the foundation I needed to be successful in life.

But let’s look at a bass fisherman and someone who is considered the greatest bass angler of all time….Kevin Van Dam (KVD). Now this is talent and is a great example of God given talent as there are legendary stories of Kevin’s abilities as a bass fisherman. KVD was born with instincts very few anglers have.

For years KVD made decisions that baffled other anglers including his own family. His brother Randy gave me an example of KVD’s talent as they often fished together growing up. He told the story of how Kevin, Randy and their dad were all fishing together one day and struggling to catch fish. Then after a lengthy time of no bites, out of the blue Kevin decided to pick up a jerkbait for no apparent reason and started whacking them.

When asked why he thought that was what they needed to be doing, KVD said “it just felt right”. That’s instincts or God given talent that very few anglers have. It’s knowing when to change baits or change locations, it’s a feel for doing the right thing at the right time. This talent is what separates the great anglers from the average anglers.

Now some talent can be enhanced and developed, whether it’s in a particular sport or a concept like singing. An athlete for example, can be made stronger, faster or quicker with proper training, but there needs to be some resemblance of talent from the Lord almighty to work with. You can’t turn a sloth into a tiger or if you take the stripes off a Zebra, that doesn’t make it a thoroughbred.

Once again, we all have some form of talent. It just might take a awhile before we realize or recognize what that talent might be. God has blessed each of us in different ways and wants you to take advantage of whatever that talent might be. Talent comes in many different forms and what someone may deem as unsubstantial, may truly be a gift from God. But with proper guidance or coaching, an individual can figure out the best way to utilize that talent.

Till next time, good luck, good fishing and if you want to become a better outdoorsman, tune into the Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show every Wednesday live from 11:00 till 1:00 on AM 1130 The Tiger, our Facebook page or catch us on our YouTube channel.

Steve Graf

A.W. McDonald, Jr. joined his Savior in Eternity from his home in Stonewall, Louisiana on August 28, 2024, surrounded by his loved ones. He will be fondly remembered for his life of service, dedication to family, and jovial personality. A private family graveside service will be held to memorialize this life well-lived.

He was born October 4, 1930, to Clara Heard McDonald and Add McDonald in a sharecropper house on a hill farm in his beloved Boliver near Converse.

Preceding him in death were his parents, his three siblings (Margie Smith, Audrey McDonald, and Bobby McDonald), three brothers-in-law, a nephew, and several cousins, including seven double-first cousins.
Left to cherish his memory are his wife of over 67 years, Diane Cathey McDonald, and their two children and spouses, Kyle (Tisdale), and Kathy (Dr. David Lewis).

“Pa” is also survived by five grandchildren: Brooks McDonald Campany (Port), Blair McDonald Hull (Drew), Timothy Lewis, Kade McDonald (Claire), and Mary-Kyle McDonald Maxwell (Johnny); and eight great-grandchildren: Porter & Wills Campany; Parker, Ella, & Kent Hull II; and Mary Ellis, Catherine Anne, & Eloise McDonald. His ninth great-grandchild, John Emmette Maxwell IV, is due in September.

“Mac” or “Uncle Mac” is also survived by Diane’s siblings (Lynn Owens, Tom (Martha) Cathey, and Martha Keener), and a number of nieces and nephews, including grand nieces and nephews.
He was raised on that rural Sabine Parish farm and graduated from Oak Grove (Sabine) High School in 1946 at the age of 15, by skipping the second grade, which in his words “changed my life time-line for the rest of my life”.

Fueled by an innate belief that education was the pathway out of poverty, he became the first of his family to enroll in college and set an example for generations of family educators.

Hitchhiking to and from Lafayette, he graduated from SLI, now ULL, at the age of 19 with a BS degree. He then worked a short period of time for the Sabine Parish School Board before joining the U.S. Air Force during the Korean Conflict. Entering as a Private, he attended Officers’ Candidate School and was discharged as a 1st Lieutenant.

Following his service time, he received his master’s degree in Secondary Education from Stephen F. Austin University.

Arriving at Stonewall High School as Agriculture Teacher in 1954, he held his bachelor and master’s degrees, 3 years of service time, and was still only 23 years of age.

In 1958, he was named Principal and math teacher at Stonewall High. In 1968, he was named Principal of Mansfield High School where he served 9 years. During this time, he also earned his master’s +30 from Northwestern State, with other credits earned from Louisiana Tech, Centenary, University of Arkansas, and LSU.

Those years of educating DeSoto Parish Schools students at Stonewall (now North DeSoto) and Mansfield High were very rewarding to him and to the students he impacted. Many of those students became his friends as they interacted in their adult years, even as most continued to refer to him as “Mr. Mac”.

In 1977, the Mansfield Vocational Technical School was built, and he was named its initial Director. It was his privilege to select all the equipment for this school and select the first staff. He served in this position for over five years. He then retired from education with 32 years of credited service at age 52. He referred to that as his First Retirement.

Following the death of his father-in-law, H. J. Cathey, he returned to Stonewall and joined his brother-in-law, Howard Cathey, in operating C & M Dairy. That dairy partnership lasted for 15 years before they sold the dairy, and he retired again; Second Retirement in 1997 at age 67.

During those dairy years, he was elected to serve on the DeSoto Parish Police Jury from the Stonewall area. He would serve over 23 years without a campaign opponent after that first election. He retired from the DeSoto Parish Police Jury in January 2016; Third Retirement at age 85.

A. W. accepted Jesus as his Savior at the age of 11 and was baptized at Fellowship Baptist Church in Oak Grove near Converse. He remained a Baptist until he joined the Stonewall Methodist Church in 1959 when his first child (Kyle) was presented for infant baptism by Diane and him. He served in many ways in the Stonewall Methodist Church, First Methodist Mansfield, and Christ United Methodist, Shreveport. Recently, he joined Salem Baptist Church.

The marriage of Diane and A.W. was a shining example of devotion and partnership, evident to all. The love they shared was the cornerstone of their family and a cherished legacy that will continue through their growing family. Together they attended many sports events for all ages, dairymen and policy jury conferences, and accomplished their goal of visiting all 50 states. Diane’s determination to care for A.W. at home during his last years was the culmination of that devotion.

His “Daddy’s girl” Kathy provided exceptional care to him, particularly during his last weeks, exhibiting her God-given nursing and inherited service skills.

God led A.W. through a wonderful and blessed life of service to others, with important, lasting lessons of integrity, humility, empathy, and justice imparted to his family, his students, his colleagues and his DeSoto Parish community.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to a charity of choice.

Among charities, gifts may be made online to the A W McDonald Memorial Scholarship fund created at the Louisiana Tech Foundation www.latechalumni.org/AWMScholarship to provide scholarships to selected graduates of North DeSoto and Mansfield High Schools in memory of A.W., Daddy, Pa, Mr. Mac: all names for a good and honorable man.

The DeSoto Parish Jamboree kicks off tonight at 7 p.m. with North DeSoto and Mansfield, followed by Logansport and Mansfield and then Logansport and North DeSoto. All games are at North DeSoto High.

The Steve Carter Tutoring Program is newly updated and now provides up to $1,500 in digital vouchers for both math and literacy tutoring eligible students in grades K-12. Learn more and apply at Tutor.La.Gov.

The LHSOA is increasing its efforts to recruit new officials and retain them from year-to-year, but they need your help. To learn about becoming an official, visit lhsoa.com or https://www.lhsaa.org/lhsoa.

A.W. McDonald, Jr.
October 4, 1930 — August 28, 2024
A private family graveside service will be held to memorialize this life well-lived.

Matt Vines
STONEWALL – While plenty of eyes will be on the state’s leading quarterback-receiver connection of North DeSoto’s Luke Delafield and Cole Cory, one could argue it’s the running backs taking center stage at the DeSoto Parish Jamboree on Friday.

North DeSoto’s Kenny Thomas and Logansport’s Jukadynn Carter were listed among the state’s top running backs by Louisiana High School on Sports Illustrated.

Thomas was part of a two-headed attack with Trysten Hopper this past season as they both eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards. Thomas will be the lead pony this year after gaining 1,422 yards and 16 touchdowns this past season.

Carter topped 1,500 rushing yards and scored 16 touchdowns en route to the District 3-1A Offensive MVP.

Mansfield High was one of the area’s hottest teams by the end of the 2023 season, and although the bulky TJ Pegues won’t be terrorizing defenses this year, there is another Pegues in the mix.

Terrell Pegues will lead a host of backs that Mansfield expects to pound defenses again this season.

The DeSoto Parish Jamboree kicks off at 7 p.m. with North DeSoto and Mansfield, followed by Logansport and Mansfield and then Logansport and North DeSoto. All games are at North DeSoto High.

Both North DeSoto and Logansport were No. 1 seeds in their respective divisions and were one win away from the Superdome and a state title game this past season.

Mansfield recovered from an 0-4 start to reach the playoffs and notch the program’s first playoff win (34-28 against Marksville) since 2018.

After the jamboree, all three teams will begin the regular season Sept. 6.

Logansport kicks off a three-week road trip at Many as the Tigers await construction on their home football stadium to finish.

Mansfield begins at home with Minden coming to town.

North DeSoto will do battle with Union Parish at home.

Martinez Land Offering

Offers Due by:  Friday, September 13, 2024 at 3:00 pm Central Time

Closing Date: Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at 3:00 pm Central (or sooner)

Land Offered: Approximately 2,837.896+/- acres. (comprised of several tracts)

Contact: henry@echotitlecompany.com

Phone: 318-236-6000

VIEW & DOWNLOAD BID PACKAGE

VIEW & DOWNLOAD THE TRACTS

“Athletics provide one of the best preparations for the darkness a human life can throw at you.”

Southern writer Pat Conroy in “My Losing Season

I agree with Conroy: losing teaches you how to deal with pain. (Hurts me to say that.)

We’re not talking exclusively about losing on the scoreboard. That hurts, and those types of hurts, a peculiar kind of Southern hurt, begin again this weekend with football. Those are as real as real gets, and sometimes they hurt bad, and they hurt for a long time.

But we’re talking beyond that. We’re talking everyday losses.

Like … a hang nail, the finger’s silent assassin.

Hot coffee spilled in the car on the inside of your thigh. Sweet.

Cutting your head on the corner of an open kitchen cabinet door. The dreaded kamikaze cabinet. 

Or the kingpin of them all: hitting your little toe on the steel leg of a bunk bed at church camp.

There’s always cussing at church camp because somebody always hits their toe.

But you learn, and limp on.

Tough break that we live and limp forward, but we learn backward.

There are all “kinds” of losing. Losing your keys. Losing a tooth. Losing your mind.

But you usually get another chance in those cases. Not always so in the competitive arena. Nothing hurts worse than losing The Big Game. You don’t get another chance, not at that one, not on that day.

Super Bowl Sunday’s a decent illustration. A big winner is celebrated and a big loser does what most all big losers do. They get really small and really forgotten really fast.

Ask pros who really care or competitive amateurs and they’ll tell you that the pain of losing is always greater, more motivating, than the thrill of winning. Winning teaches you how to uncork champagne and smile. Losing teaches you where to shore up your defenses, how to plan better, who you really are when things fall apart.

I’ve always found the more compelling stories are in the losing locker room, not the winning one. Losers are more real, emotion more acute.

In the academic world of leaky manifolds and underground sewerage systems and computer programming, I’m on the outside looking in. But when the subject is losing, well, that’s right in my wheelhouse. I have certificates, even official framed documents. Everything but a tattoo. 

You probably do to. You know about losing like a plow knows about dirt. Like a wing knows wind. We know about losing the way a bug knows about a windshield.

Some, like me, are slow learners. I’m coachable, just not very quick. But a bit of experience in losing will teach you that you can handle more than you thought, that the sun will come up if you can hang in there, and that whatever price you have to pay to win, it will be worth it to avoid the feeling of losing again. 

Fumbling won’t win you any trophies, but it can toughen you up. Good thing, because in everyday life, you face third-and-long a lot more often than third-and-short. Athletic disaster truly can help prepare you for losing someone close, for a pink slip, for foreclosure.

Regardless, you want to be in the arena, don’t you? Stay in the game. It’s small consolation and a wide chasm, but the next best thing to playing and winning is playing and losing. 

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu