United Christian Assistance Program needs the following items:
Food: pasta, rice, canned or powdered milk
Clothing: men’s tennis and dress shoes sizes 9 1/2 and largerHousehold Goods: king and queen sheets, towels
UCAP is open Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. for food, utility and rent assistance. Clothing is dispersed on Wednesdays only. Many thanks to the community for your support!
By Bonnie Culverhouse
A Minden man has been arrested by police on a warrant for first degree rape.
Cameron Wytez Malone, 19, was taken into custody Sept. 24 at a residence in the 100 block of Squire Street.
Chief Steve Cropper said the mother of the victim observed Malone leaving the back door of her residence.
“The mother asked her four-year-old child what was going on,” Cropper said. “The victim indicated to the mother that a sexual activity had taken place.”
Cropper said later the same day, the boyfriend of the victim’s mother had a telephone conversation with Malone, and he admitted to the sexual assault.
By Bonnie Culverhouse
Jasmin Jermane Jiles, 34, of the 200 block of Joel St., was arrested Sept. 27 for allegedly pulling a handgun on another subject.
Minden Police Chief Steve Cropper said the victim came to the police department to file a charges against Jiles.
“He talked to Ofc. Shawn Griffith, who was interviewing the victim when Jiles came into the department with the intent to file a harassment complaint against the victim,” Cropper said. “Officers placed him under arrest. He was transferred to Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center and booked in to that facility.”
Matthew Justin Jeter, 30, of the 10,000 block of Hwy. 80, Minden, was arrested by Webster Parish Sheriff’s deputies on five outstanding warrants.
Dexter M. Morris, 42, of the 200 block of Green St., Cotton Valley, was arrested by WPSO on an outstanding warrant for resisting an officer.
Gilbert Wynne, 52, of Springhill, was arrested by WPSO on three active distribution warrants.
Darion Taylor, 30, of Ringgold, was arrested by Sibley Police for unauthorized entry, simple battery, aggravated battery and burglary.
Michael Bryant, 69, of Brushy Creek Rd., Sibley, was arrested by WPSO for contempt of court.
Marquette J. Burks, 24, of Dubberly, was arrested by WPSO for simple criminal damage to property.
Nicholas Tyler Barbo, 26, of Mason Felts Rd., Heflin, was arrested by WPSO on three outstanding warrants.
Keionje R. Perry, 19, of Springhill, was arrested by Springhill Police for driving left of center and aggravated flight from an officer.
Journal Staff
Camp Minden will benefit from the recently passed Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act.
United States Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04) voted in support of the act, which passed the House of Representatives by a bipartisan vote.
Camp Minden will receive $13.8 million for the construction of a new barracks that will improve the housing on site.
“I am so grateful that we were able to secure major priorities for our military installations in the Fourth Congressional District in this year’s NDAA, which will help keep our country safe from adversaries like Russia and China,” Johnson said. “I am proud that a large bipartisan group of colleagues came together to pass this bill through the House.”
The legislation funds major priorities for our country’s national defense and for Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District, which is home to Barksdale Air Force Base, Fort Polk and the Joint Readiness Training Center, and the Louisiana National Guard Training Site at Camp Minden. These provisions include:
NDAA Top-Lines:
Increases pay for service members, increases parental leave, and extends military recruitment and retention bonuses.
Directs National Guard resources toward our southern border and declares the record number of illegal crossings this year a national security crisis.
Holds the Biden Administration accountable for the Afghanistan withdrawal, including an accounting of all Americans left behind and an itemized list of the U.S. military equipment left in the country.
Counters Chinese Communist Party aggression by requiring the Department of Defense to reduce its reliance on Chinese goods, and prohibits the Department from using taxpayer dollars to conduct research within any entity controlled by the CCP.
Barksdale Air Force Base:
$40 million for the construction of a weapons generation facility (WGF). This first installment to construct a WGF will ensure Barksdale’s B-52s can be loaded with their nuclear payloads at Barksdale rather than at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota.
$36 million for the construction of a new gate and entrance complex that will accommodate traffic from the newly constructed I-20/I-220 interchange.
Fort Polk and the Joint Readiness Training Center:
$56 million for the construction of a new barracks that will drastically improve the housing provided to servicemembers stationed at the installation.
$55 million for the construction of a new joint operations center (JOC), which serves as the command and control hub for training rotations. The current JOC was originally constructed in the early 1960s as a classroom and is inadequate to meet the rigorous training demands of the Army.
Air Force B-52 Program:
$649.3 million for B-52 sustainment, modernization, operations, and maintenance.
Air Force Air-Launched Cruise Missile:
$47.3 million for the development of a new air-launched cruise missile that will ensure the B-52 remains a viable nuclear deterrent and will keep the aircraft flying for decades to come.
Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications Modernization:
$33.4 million to upgrade the decades-old systems that are used to communicate with and direct nuclear bombers like the ones stationed at Barksdale.
Betty J. Kobs
October 4, 1936 – September 9, 2021
Services: Sunday, October 3, 2021 at the home of James and Betty Kobs.
Ronald Ray O’Daniel
July 16, 1955 – September 22, 2021
Services and Visitation: Still Pending
Burial: September 30, 2021
Jackie Olen Byrd
July 28, 1939 – September 21, 2021
Service: Tuesday, September 28, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. at Plain Dealing Baptist Church, 101 North Perrin Street, Plain Dealing, Louisiana.
Burial: September 28, 2021
Mary Wallace
November 9, 1936 – September 20, 2021
Services: Tuesday, September 28, 2021. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2201 Airline Drive, Bossier City, Louisiana.
Visitation: 12:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m.
Interment: 2:00 p.m., at the Rose-Neath Cemetery in Bossier City.
Charles Rushing
October 18, 1937 – September 24, 2021
Services: Tuesday, September 28, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. at Pleasure Point Baptist Church
Visitation: 9:00 a.m. until service time.
Interment: Independence Cemetery in Fouke, AR.
Pauline Shaw Pope
January 19, 1926 – September 24, 2021
Services: Tuesday, September 28, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. at North Acres Baptist Church in Minden, Louisiana
Visitation: Monday, September 27, 2021, from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home in Minden.
Interment: Gardens of Memory in Minden, Louisiana under the direction of Rose-Neath Funeral Home in Minden.
Beverly Ann Presley Calhoun
August 23, 1945 – September 25, 2021
Services: Tuesday, September 28, 2021 at 2:00 p.m., at First Baptist Church, Shreveport, 543 Ockley Dr., Shreveport, LA, led by Dr. Jeff Raines.
Memories of Beverly and her art will be in the Sanctuary Foyer of First Baptist Church at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Burial: Highland Cemetery, Mansfield, LA.
By Bonnie Culverhouse
The 79th Annual Awards Gala, presented by Greater Minden Chamber of Commerce and Regional Hospice, is one for the books. Following a long Covid Hiatus, the banquet was well attended and boasted all the awards of years’ past.
Small Business of the Year: Minden Farm & Garden
Business of the Year: Meadowview Health & Rehab
Business Person of the Year: Catherine Hunt
Community Partner of the Year: Mercy’s Closet
Pandemic Heroes for 2020: Minden Medical Center Frontline Staff
Woman of the Year, presented by Young Women’s Service Club: Lt. Tokia Whiting Harrison
Man of the Year, presented by Minden Lions Club: Jake Chapman
Other sponsors for the banquet included Diamond Sponsors: Home Federal Bank and Minden Family Dental; Gold Sponsors: b1 Bank, Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Minden, Madden Contracting, Minden Medical Center, Rose-Neath Funeral Home and Town & Country Health & Rehab.
Silver Sponsors: Catherine Hunt, Realtor and Minden Medical Center; VIP Sponsor: Citizens National Bank; Awards Sponsor: McDonald’s; and Social Sponsor: Mike’s Hometown Spirits.
Table Sponsors included: bi Bank, Baird Siding/Grace Farms, Carroway Pre-Owned of Minden, Christian Church of Minden, Flip Flop Resale, Gibsland Bank & Trust, Harper Chevrolet-Buick/GMC/AJ Price Tire, Mayor Terry Gardner, McInnis Insurance, Meadowview Health & Rehab, Meriwether Wealth & Planning, Minden Family Pharmacy, Minden Farm & Garden, Northwest LA Technical Community College, TG Companies, Webster Parish School Board, Webster Parish Convention & Visitors Commission, Wimberly Agency of Minden and Wise, Martin & Cole.
Photo by Mark Chreene: Lt. Tokia Whiting Harrison (left) and Jake Chapman are Woman and Man of the Year for 2021.
Mansfield: 46
Minden: 25
By Whitman McGee
The Tide traveled to Mansfield on Friday night for a matchup with the Wolverines. Things didn’t go Minden’s way, however, as they lost by a final score of 46-25.
Mansfield (3-1) started with the ball but would eventually be forced to punt after a Tide defensive stand, topped off by an Isaviyon Emerson sack.
The offense was finding its rhythm until Mansfield defensive back Trey Dewitt intercepted an Andrew Cooper pass attempt to put the Wolverines in prime field position.
Four plays and eighteen yards later, wide-receiver DQuinton Robinson was in for the Mansfield score.
Minden (2-2) began the next drive with great field position in Mansfield territory, but they couldn’t capitalize, turning the ball over on downs.
DQuinton Robinson would score again for the Wolverines, and after their second consecutive 2-point conversion, Mansfield led the Tide 16-0 with 2:14 left in the 1st quarter.
After a string of three and outs, Tide Senior Roderien Richardson would run 21-yards for Minden’s first score. Carter Barnett’s extra point was good and suddenly the momentum seemed to be switching hands.
At half-time, the score was a respectable 24-13 with Mansfield holding the lead and the Tide set to receive the 2nd-half kick-off.
Any hopes of a Minden comeback took a massive hit after Mansfield secured their second of three onside kicks and scored shortly after, raising their lead to 19.
From there, Mansfield held on, answering each Crimson Tide score with one of their own, eventually winning the game having never lost the lead.
Quarterback Andrew Cooper was forced to play both sides of the ball (QB & DB) due to some personnel switches.
Despite this, Cooper finished with three total touchdowns, two rushing and one through the air to receiver Jaylin Williams.
Running back Daylin Robinson had yet another fantastic performance, putting up 122 yards on 18 carries.
When asked to comment on Mansfield’s performance, Tide Head Coach Spencer Heard told The Journal, “I thought Mansfield played well, I’ll give them credit for playing a good game. Their kids were hungry for a victory and they went out there and played hard.”
The Wolverines air assault was an essential part of their victory, boasting 279 passing yards to Minden’s 146.
Coach Heard commented on the passing game, saying, “I felt like we were a little flat early in the game. Our secondary’s youth showed up.” Heard continued. “We couldn’t stop their pass game, which was where the majority of their scores came from.”
Minden will try to brush this one under the rug, as next week they take to the road once again, this time to match up with the (2-2) Leesville Wampus Cats, who come off of a heartbreaking 32-35 loss to Pineville.
The loss may sting right now, but Coach Heard looks at the positives, saying, “The main thing is our guys kept battling until the end. When you’re in a game like this, it’s a test of your character.”
Special thanks to Mark Chreene and KASO/KBEF radio for supplying The Journal with stats for tonight’s game.
Homer: 36
Glenbrook: 21
Going into Friday night’s contest, the Glenbrook Apaches knew they would have their hands full with the number 6 ranked team in 1A, the Homer Pelicans. Homer, fresh off a semi final appearance last season, came to Minden with a 2-1 record and trying to stay perfect in district play.
The visiting Pelicans jumped out early in the first quarter on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Takeviuntae Kidd to Devante Champ. The two-point conversion was no good, and the Pelicans led 6-0.
Great defensive efforts by both teams kept the rest of the first quarter scoreless.
The Kidd to Champ combination struck for a second time on the night with 10:53 left in the second quarter from 18 yards out. Once again the Apache defense denied the two point attempt, and the Pelicans led 12-0.
After a defensive battle for the remainder of the second quarter, the Pelicans took a 12-0 halftime lead into the locker room.
The Apaches recovered an onside kick to open the second half. From there, the offense took only 2 plays to score as Ty Feaster found Cason Clemons streaking down the right sideline for a 48-yard touchdown pass. The extra point was no good and the Apaches trailed 12-6.
With 7:12 left in the third quarter, Andravious Buggs added another Pelican score to the board as he ran off right tackle into the end zone from 8 yards out. Kidd added the two-point conversion, and the Pelicans led 20-6.
With 2:34 left in the third quarter, the Apaches drove the ball into Pelican territory, but a fumble ended the scoring threat.
The Pelicans then went on an 8 play 64-yard drive that was capped off by Andravious Buggs’ second rushing touchdown on the night from 19 yards out. After another successful two-point conversion by Kidd, the Pelicans had extended their lead to 28-6.
Both teams traded offensive possessions before the Apaches took over on their own 19 with 3:46 remaining in the game.
The Apaches went 81 yards in 9 plays as Ty Feaster threw his second touchdown pass on the night, this time an 8-yard fade route to Turner Mclelland. Feaster then found Cason Clemons in the back of the end zone for the two-point conversion to cut the lead to 28-14 with 2:42 left to play in the game.
Down two scores with less than three minutes left, the Apaches executed their second successful onside kick on the night and set up shop on the Pelican 44 yard line.
The Apaches dialed up a perfect double pass from 32 yards out as Turner Mclelland took the backwards pass from Feaster and found a wide open DJ Carter sprinting down the sideline for the touchdown. The extra point was good and the Apaches cut the lead to 28-21 with 1:51 left to play.
After an unsuccessful onside kick attempt, the Pelicans gained possession and scored another touchdown and two point conversion to put the game out of reach at 36-21.
Head Coach David Feaster had this to say about his team’s effort. “Our guys fought the entire game, especially in the second half when all looked lost there for a little while. When suddenly the defense gets a stop and we drive it down and score, we get the onside kick and drive it down and score and we are right back in the game and just about shocked the world.”
The Apaches will be on the road next week as they take on Magnolia Charter School at Independence Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m.
North Webster hosted Jena Friday night in a matchup of 3A teams with lofty playoff aspirations.
In what was a close, low-scoring contest for most of the night, Jena pulled away late for a 27-13 win at Baucum-Farrar Stadium in Springhill.
North Webster could never find their offensive rhythm on the night while Jena’s offense ate up chunks of clock.
The only score of the first half came in the opening quarter on a methodical drive for the Giants. The halftime score was 6-0 Jena.
The Knights trailed 21-0 in the fourth quarter before senior Jacobreious Walker returned a kick 70 yards for a score.
The Knights would add a second touchdown on a short pass from quarterback Colin McKenzie to tight end Jatareon Robinson. The touchdown ended what was a rough night offensively on a positive note.
The task for North Webster (2-2) is to shake back and be ready to go against a dangerous Jonesboro-Hodge team in Week 5.
The Knights will remain home at Baucum-Farrar Stadium as they look to get back to their winning ways.
By Josh Beavers
A long touchdown pass and a pick-6 on the opening drives of the game propelled the 5A West Ouachita Chiefs to a 47-7 victory over the visiting 2A Lakeside Warriors Friday night at A.R. Red Sims Stadium.
Lakeside senior Kris Redden registered a sack while the score was still 0-0, and the crowd that traveled over from Sibley thought something special might be in the works.
Those hopes were dashed a couple plays later when Chiefs quarterback Mason Cobb lobbed a 46-yard touchdown pass to senior Mike Hall.
Trailing 7-0, Lakeside faced a long conversion attempt. The Warrior quarterback’s pass went high and into the hands of Chiefs’ safety Corey Totson, who returned the interception 46 yards for a score and a 14-0 lead with 8:47 to play in the opening quarter.
Lakeside’s Cade Boley caught a 13-yard pass on the next Warrior drive, but a penalty made a fourth down try too risky. Instead, Lakeside elected to punt, and the Chiefs answered. Several short runs set up a long play-action pass from Cobb to senior Chief receiver Chase White. The ground covered was 45 yards and the result was a touchdown.
The Warriors got on the board thanks to a C.J. Watt fumble recovery in the endzone. Before that lone Warrior score, Koby Mangrum forced a fumble and Cade Boley recovered. A 40-yard pass to Taurio Grigsby was nullified due to a penalty.
Despite the final score, the Warriors never stopped fighting.
C.J. Watt came in at quarterback and completed 5 of 10 passes for 50 yards. He also registered several tackles. Other Warriors with solid defensive play included Koby Mangrum, Ty Manness, Kevin Johnson and Jaden Miller.
Ultimately it was penalties and the big play that killed the Warriors. As the game wore on, the Chiefs’ depth and size ate away at the visitors.
With a 27-7 lead, the Chiefs opened the third quarter with a 60-yard touchdown pass off play action that was set up by short, bruising runs.
That gave the Chiefs a 34-7 lead that they added to as the game wore on.
Next up for Lakeside (2-1) is another long road trip. Week 5 will see the Warriors playing north of Bastrop against Beekman Charter.
We’ve all, at one time or another, had those jobs that nobody else wants. Those jobs, where no matter what decisions you make, everyone will not be happy. If you’ve ever run a bass tournament, you’ll find out quickly that there’s not a bigger bunch of whiners on the planet than bass fishermen. If you feed them hamburgers for good performance, they want to know why they didn’t get a ribeye. They really are the most selfish and spoiled outdoorsmen that exist. They like to be catered to and hailed for their skills and abilities to catch bass. Another way to say it…they’re brats!
Without Tournament Directors (TD’s), anglers would be the inmates running the asylum. TD’s are the guys that run bass tournaments for different organizations all across the country and have a tough job trying to satisfy bass fishermen. They don’t write the rules, they just enforce them, even when they know it will hurt an angler or a team. That’s not their intention to hurt anyone, but it’s a part of the job that goes with being a tournament director. Sometimes they have to be the bad guy whether it’s a one-pound penalty for a minor violation, or worst, a disqualification, which is rare. An example of a one-pound penalty would be weighing a dead fish. If there’s one thing that’s really emphasized in bass tournaments today, it is keeping your fish alive before weigh-in. An example of a disqualification would be not wearing a life jacket either during practice or on tournament day.
But without good TD’s, bass tournaments would be a mess. They constantly have to hear anglers complain about this and that including, but not limited to, accusations from other anglers like… they were fishing too close, they were fishing my spot, they ran through a no wake zone, they weren’t wearing their life jackets….and the list goes on and on! Bass fishermen love rules, as long as they don’t apply to them. No matter what the TD decides on a situation, someone will not be happy. But for a fishing circuit or tournament trail to be successful, it better have a good strong TD who’s not afraid to hurt someone’s feelings. Nothing will ruin a tournament trail quicker than a weak director who does not enforce the rules, or even worse, changes or alters the rules the morning of a tournament. This will make anglers load their boats and leave….. never to return. Every tournament trail that’s ever failed, was usually because rules were not enforced with consistency. If things aren’t run the right way, anglers will abandon ship quicker than setting the hook on a big bass.
So today, I salute all the guys who have taken on that role of TD and had to be the bad guy every once in a while. They spend countless hours on the road and away from their families just like anglers do. In some cases, they literally go from one event to the next, loading and unloading, breaking down and setting up. They make sure the polygraph exams are done correctly. They coordinate all take-offs the morning of the tournament and they make sure all anglers are off the water safe and on time. Then they have to run the weigh-in and pass out checks, before packing up and heading to the next event. So, the next time you’re in a bass tournament or following a bass trail, tell the tournament director “thank you” for doing a great job. Till next time, good luck, good fishing, and don’t forget to set the hook!
Steve Graf
Owner/Co-host
Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show
And Tackle Talk Live
A Minden man died shortly after 8:30 a.m., Thursday in a two-vehicle crash on Old State Road just west of La. Hwy 818 in Lincoln Parish.
The initial investigation by Louisiana State Police Troop F revealed a 2014 Ford Focus, driven by 24-year-old Zachary Hickingbottom of Minden, was traveling westbound on Old State Road. For reasons still under investigation, Hickingbottom was traveling in the eastbound lane of travel and sideswiped a 2021 Ford F350. After impact, the Ford Focus traveled off the roadway into a ditch. Hickingbottom was not wearing his seatbelt and was ejected during the crash.
Hickingbottom was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Toxicology samples were obtained and will be submitted for analysis. The driver of the Ford F350 was not injured during the crash.
The crash remains under investigation.
Nellie Ruth Rushing
August 4, 1943 – September 16, 2021
Services: 2 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021 at Pleasant Grove B.C.
Interment: will follow at the Growing Valley B.C. Cemetery.
Minnie Ola Lathan
January 5, 1947 – September 15, 2021
Services: September 15, 2021, will be held at 11 a.m.
Cemetery: Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021 at Mt. Lebanon Cemetery
Mary Helen Smith
April 24, 1928 – September 17, 2021
Services: 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021 at Pilgrim Rest Cemetery Mortuary.
William “Bill” Blankenship
January 10, 1946 – September 14, 2021
Services: 12:00 p.m., Saturday, September 25, 2021 at Noel Memorial United Methodist Church
Visitation: Saturday, September 25, 2021 from 11:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at the church.
Interment: Rose-Neath Cemetery, 5185 Swan Lake Spur, Bossier City, Louisiana.
Betty J. Kobs
October 4, 1936 – September 9, 2021
Services: Sunday, October 3, 2021 at the home of James and Betty Kobs
Patricia Elaine Smith
July 11, 1946 – September 10, 2021
Services: Saturday, September 25, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. at Barber Cemetery in the Lula Community-Mansfield, Louisiana.
Johnnie Combs
December 1, 1936 – September 19, 2021
Visitation: Saturday, September 25, 2021 from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 1815 Marshall Street, Shreveport, Louisiana.
Services: Sunday, September 26, 2021 at 2:00 p.m., at Walnut Hill St. Mary Baptist Church, 9235 Woolworth Road, Shreveport, Louisiana.
Interment: Walnut Hill St. Mary Baptist Church Cemetery.
Malery Nunn
December 11, 1921 – September 22, 2021
Visitation: 1:00 p.m. until time of service.
Services: Sunday, September 26, 2021 at 2:00 p.m., at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2201 Airline Drive, Bossier City, Louisiana.
Burial: Hurricane Cemetery, Athens, Louisiana.
Velma LaGrange
March 19, 1935 – September 20, 2021
Services: Saturday, September 25, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. in the chapel of Kilpatrick’s Rose-Neath Funeral Home in Marksville
Burial: St. Joseph Cemetery #2.
Michael “Mikey” Anthony DeBroeck
March 27, 1985 – September 17, 2021
Visitation: 11:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at the church.
Services: Saturday, September 25, 2021 at 12:00 p.m., at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 522 East Flournoy Lucas Road Shreveport, Louisiana.
By Bonnie Culverhouse
Saving lives and dispatching first responders is always high stress, but even with a fully-staffed E911 center, executive director Angie Chapman says hang-up calls are testing their limits.
“We’ve had 28,582 911 calls for the year to date, which is very close to what we did for the entire year last year,” Chapman said recently. “Incidents of hang-up and open mic 911 calls are dramatically rising.”
In July, there were 123 such calls, in August, there were 148.
As of September 14, they were online to quadruple those numbers with 64 calls to 911 where operators could not get someone on the line.
“When someone calls 911 accidentally and stays on the line, that gives our telecommunicators verification that there is no emergency need for police, fire or medical,” Chapman said. “The calls I’m talking about are stretching the resources of every law enforcement agency and possibly medical, as well.”
The calls she describes have no one on the line so, her operators are required to contact law enforcement to dispatch and verify there is no emergency.
“Most of the time, it’s children playing on the phone,” Chapman said. “But more often than not, lately, it’s people storing their phones incorrectly or misusing a Smart watch and not knowing how all that operates. It triggers that emergency mode on the phone, and we can’t get their attention.”
Operators can often hear background noise, but law enforcement must still go to that location to ensure no one is in trouble.
“When they (law enforcement) tell you they are overworked, they are right,” she said. “We can’t do anything about it because we are required to send them to investigate.”
Properly storing a phone may cut down on these calls, Chapman pointed out.
“Don’t just throw it in a pocket or a cupholder,” she said. “And please, do not let children play with phones.”
A phone with no service is still a problem.
“If it has a battery that is charged, it will and can trigger a 911 call,” Chapman said. “If you have a pay-as-you-go phone, when they are out of minutes, that next call that they try to make triggers a 911 call. And if they are not on the line to explain it was an accident, then we have to send out law enforcement to check on it.”
On her previous shift, Chapman said the first nine phone calls she received were from two different mobile homes located in the same park.
“We could hear children laughing about it in the background,” she said. “Minden Police had to be sent out to check it out and tell the adults to take the phones away from the kids.”
These back-to-back calls take dispatchers away from real emergencies.
“But we can’t afford not to go check,” she said.
When there are chronic malicious calls that are not accidental, Chapman said she is not opposed to pressing charges.
“The parish doesn’t have an ordinance to cover this,” she said, “so I’m assuming it would fall under La. Revised Statute 14:59, criminal mischief.”
That law states the supervising adult would pay not more than $500 or serve a prison sentence of not more than six months in the parish jail.
“We’ve done it in past,” she said. “A lot of times, it’s a child who refuses to give the phone to an adult. I would not be opposed to the adult and child performing community service.”
After a lengthy hiatus, the famous Minden Lions Club Chicken Charbroil is back! Mark your calendars now for Saturday, Oct. 23. Look for the grills and activity at the back of the Walmart Minden parking lot. Half-chicken to-go dinners are still only $8 each and will be served from 9:30 a.m. until sold out! All proceeds benefit the various Minden Lions Club service projects.
National Night Out has been scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 12 in the Town of Sibley.
Mayor Jimmy Williams said there will be activities and candy for kids at Town Hall beginning at 6 p.m.
“We’ll have free hot dogs and drinks and a bouncy house for the kids,” Williams said.
By Hailey Dinkins, North Webster Yearbook Staff
Last weekend my hometown hosted the 2021 Springhill PRCA Rodeo. It’s definitely the most popular event in Springhill and one of the oldest of its kind in Louisiana. Everyone I know shows up to watch the cowboys and cowgirls show off their skills of saddle bronc riding, calf roping, bareback riding, breakaway roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing, team roping, and bull riding.
North Webster High had quite a few freshman girls representing our school in the hometown barrel racing contest. Adalynn Haynes, Cailey Nail, Aubrie Adkins, and Bailey Williams all had great runs on their horses. The hometown competitions are always the best because these riders get a moment in the spotlight in front of their classmates and friends who most likely have never seen them race before! I’m already looking forward to next year, hoping that our hometown bull riders, Seth Dehart and Caden Zaruba will get the chance to attempt an eight second ride in front of the local Springhill crowd.
There were also plenty of activities that allowed the rodeo fans to get involved. The rodeo offered the shark tank, calf-scramble, mutton bustin’, and the most thrilling of all, bull poker.
On Thursday night my name was called to be in the “shark tank”, which is basically a big blue cage that is rolled out onto the arena floor and those whose names are called get to sit inside of it while the bull riding takes place. Luckily, I didn’t have to brave this alone; I was surrounded by other North Webster High School students, Chloe Ray, Alexius Dunning, Gaige Cude, Lily Herrick, and a surplus of brave Little Knights.
There are two activities that are limited to the little wranglers; the calf-scramble and mutton bustin’. The calf-scramble is where all the children go down into the arena and chase calves that have ribbons tied to their tails. The first three to secure a ribbon win cash money! Mutton bustin’ is a newer event where the objective is very similar to bull riding, but the little ones ride a sheep for as long as they can instead of a big scary bull. It’s actually pretty funny to watch!
At last, the most dangerous activity, BULL POKER! This game consists of four average joes sitting at a poker table in the arena as a Spanish fighting bull is released from the gate. The last man sitting in his chair wins! Can you believe people actually sign themselves up for this? North Webster alumni, Levi Schumacher, signed up and was chosen to play. He survived two major blows by the bull. It was frightening, yet awesome.
I’m always sad to see the rodeo wrap up on Saturday night, but our rodeo has never failed to return in the late summer even better than it was the year before. If you didn’t get the chance to come to the 2021 Springhill PRCA Rodeo, go ahead and make plans to be there next year, same place, same time, same dirt.
By Josh Beavers
Meagan Maxwell has been named Homecoming Queen for North Webster High School. The Webster Parish Journal will have the bios of all court members as well as an interview with Meagan in the coming weeks. Other court members are:
Queen:
Meagan Maxwell
Football Sweetheart:
Peyten Ware
Band Sweetheart:
Me’Yuanna Bradford
Senior Maids:
Katie Jennings
Raynesha Standokes
Haley Roath
Junior Maids:
Kayman Patterson
Landry Thompson
Zia Stephens
Sophomore Maids:
Mikiyah Bell
Niyana Cooper
Bree Lyons
Freshman Maids:
Emoni Glover
Naja Willis
Nyla Willis
North Webster plays Bossier High for homecoming. There will be a week of festivities culminating in the Oct. 8 crowning of the queen.
By Josh Beavers
A Minden High student has earned one of the highest honors in academics.
Connor Heard has been named a National Merit Commended Student. Only 3-4% of all PSAT test takers receive this honor.
“Connor has demonstrated superior academic successes and is a powerful force on our football team; however, I am most proud of his servant’s heart,” said Dr. Rebecca Wilson, Minden High principal. “Connor is quick to help anyone who is in need. He is kind and compassionate. Connor Heard is a role model for all of us.”
This is the first time in at least 15 years that a student from Minden High has received this outstanding honor. Connor has also earned a 33 on his ACT.
About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional -academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2022 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, Commended – Students placed among the top 50,000 students who entered the 2022 competition by taking the 2020 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®).
”Those being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,” commented a spokesperson for NMSC. ”These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success.“
By Whitman McGee
Following a thrilling rivalry victory against the North Webster Knights, Minden (2-1) will hit the road for the first time this season to face the (1-2) Mansfield Wolverines.
Last Friday’s showdown was an exciting one with Minden’s resiliency on full display, coming back from a 13-0 opening deficit to eventually win the game 34-27.
Head Coach Spencer Heard revealed his main takeaway from last Friday night’s game, saying, “We faced some adversity, but our guys were competitive and tough. They didn’t let it get to them and they stayed the course.”
Among the many players who stepped up for the Tide was senior quarterback Andrew Cooper, finishing the outing with 143 yards rushing and 3 total touchdowns.
Coach Heard also highlighted the play of senior Zedekiah Harris. “He’s having a really good year so far; he’s blocking and running really well for us.”
Harris eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark in last week’s win over the Knights. He also has two touchdowns over the first three games of play.
Moving on to Mansfield, the Tide lead the overall series against the Wolverines with a 29-12-1 record.
Coach Heard, who has yet to fall to the Wolverines, told The Journal, “Mansfield is always very big and this year is no exception. We just have to use our quickness and play to our advantage.”
Heard noted junior running back Marcus Bryant and sophomore wide-receiver Monquavaris Wells as two keystone pieces of the Wolverine offense that the Tide will look to slow down.
This will be Mansfield’s last of a three-game homestand. They dropped both of the previous two – Huntington and Red River, respectively.
We’ve seen continuous improvement in all phases of the game by Minden, and we should expect more of the same in week four as Minden gets into the rhythm of the season.
Crimson Tide fans are encouraged to come out to Mansfield this Friday for kick-off at 7:00 PM. If you can’t make it to the game, 104.5 KBEF has you covered with radio coverage.
By Josh Beavers
It’s been quite a while, but Lakeside will finally be back on the football field tomorrow night.
The Warriors (2-0) have not played since Week One when they defeated Magnolia Charter by a 39-0 score. The next week’s game was cancelled due to Covid restrictions placed on Block High School.
Week Three was already slated to be an open date, and that has set the scene for Lakeside’s trip down I-20 to take on 5A West Ouachita.
“It’s going to be good to finally get back out there,” Lakeside coach Mike Santelices said. “It’s been a challenging two weeks because you just can’t simulate a game in practice.”
The Chiefs are 1-2 on the year and lost last week’s game against Natchitoches Central 34-6.
Santelices said the Warriors’ opponent is a solid squad that is led by Division 1 talent Thomas Wink.
“One out of every five of his blocks is a pancake,” Santelices said. “He’s plays all over the offensive line and also plays some defense.”
Wink is 6’4” and weighs 325. He’s listed as an offensive tackle. He blocks for a pair of strong running backs that are very comparable to those from Lakeside.
“One is like Cade Boley and just runs hard and is very difficult to bring down,” the coach told The Journal. “The other is like Taurio Grigsby in that he is very fast and very quick in his movements.”
Despite the time off and playing up in competition, Santelices is very excited and optimistic about the road trip.
“Yesterday we had a good, hard practice and we will be ready,” he said. “They are a good team, but we are excited for the challenge.”
Glenbrook welcomes tough Homer team Friday night as the Pelicans look to continue their dominating district run.
The Homer Pelicans, (2-1, 2-0) enter Friday night’s contest on the heels of a two-game district winning streak where they have out scored their opponents 118-0.
The Pelican high-powered offense is led by Takeviuntae Kidd at QB. The senior signal caller has thrown for 12 touchdowns and 647 yards through 3 games.
The Apache defense will look to contain Kidd in order to limit the Pelican scoring opportunities. This effort will be led by defensive linemen Jonathan Bryant, Mason Farnell, and Preston Pope.
On Offense, the Apaches will once again rely on a multitude of weapons to try to penetrate the stingy Pelican defense led by Juniors Walteze Champ and Cameron Winzer.
For the Apache offense to be successful, the trio of Maddox Mandino, Turner Mclelland, and DJ Carter will need to get rolling early and often. Last week, all three were able to find the end zone in the team’s rout of Lincoln Prep.
Head Coach David Feaster knows all too well that Homer will present a much tougher task for his young and undersized Apaches. “Homer is several years ahead of Lincoln Prep. They are not that much different than them, they are just years ahead. Five years ago, Homer and Lincoln Prep would have been a dog fight, but right now they are ahead, and the rest of us are trying to catch up to them,” said Feaster.
In the latest Louisiana Sports Writers Association Poll, the Pelicans came in at #6. The Apache’s week 2 opponent, Calvary, was ranked #1, and their week 6 opponent, Haynesville, is ranked #7.
Game time Friday night is at 7:00pm at Apache Stadium.