All branches of the Webster Parish Library system will be closed on the dates listed below in observance of the New Year. They are wishing all patrons a prosperous and fulfilling 2022!
Fun facts about New Years:
1. Time Square New Year’s Eve Ball was first dropped in 1907 after there was a fireworks ban. The original ball weighed 700 pounds and featured 100 25-watt bulbs.
2. Forty-five percent of Americans make New Year’s resolutions.
3. Black eyed peas, ham, and cabbage are considered good luck if you eat them on New Year’s Eve or Day because it is believed they will bring you money.
4.2,000 pounds of confetti are dropped on the crowd in Times Square at midnight.
5. The first ever New Year celebrations took place back in 2000 BC,. The Mesopotamians started this tradition of celebrating New Year.
Louisiana State Police has issued a Level II Endangered Missing Child Advisory on behalf of the East Feliciana Sheriff’s Office for a 2-year-old child that was reported missing from his residence, 2047 Maglone Lane in Slaughter. The child was last seen with his father, Orin Hollingsworth, on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. and is believed to be in imminent danger.
Carson Jeffery Hollingsworth is a two-year-old white male with blonde hair and blue eyes. He is approximately 24” – 30” tall and weighs about 24 pounds. He was last seen wearing a white t-shirt with the words “Chilling with my Cousins” and a white and purple Luvs brand diaper. He was not wearing socks or shoes when he was last seen. Carson suffers from a severe medical condition that requires daily medication.
Orin Hollingsworth is wanted for questioning in the child’s disappearance. Hollingsworth is a 35-year-old white male with brown hair, brown eyes and a beard. He is approximately 6’1” tall and weighs about 220 pounds. He is possibly driving a 2003 white Chevrolet Tahoe bearing Louisiana license plate 860EIT.
Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of Carson Hollingsworth should immediately contact the East Feliciana Sheriff’s Office at 225-683-5459 or local law enforcement by dialing 911.
Congratulations to Bryan Taylor for getting a visit from Doyline basketball elves.Pictured here with Bryan are Tamp McClendon, Keidric Clark, Juicy Clark, Zach Normand and Coach Jackson.
The Webster Parish Journal “WPJ” publishes paid engagement and wedding announcements, as well as anniversaries, for couples who reside in the parish, who have relatives in the parish or who are getting married in the parish. (Fees apply.)
This move by the Journal allows couples to showcase their announcement.
Information for engagement announcements include:
Digital photograph of the couple
The couple’s names
The couple’s hometowns
High school and/or college of the couple
Parents’ names and/or grandparents’ names
Ties to the parish
Wedding time, date, and place
An interesting fact about the couple
Information for the wedding announcements include:
Digital photograph of the couple
The couple’s names
The couple’s hometowns
High school and/or college of the couple
Parents’ names and/or grandparents’ names
Officiant
Attendants
Ties to the parish
Wedding time, date, and place
For engagement and wedding announcement fees and/or to submit information for publication, please email wpjnewsla@gmail.com.
Thank you to the Minden JSL for including Minden Police Association in the club’s Angel Tree project.
“We were able to adopt an Angel and ensure that he will have the best Christmas,” said MPA President Jason Smith. “Thank you to all the members of the MPA, but we would like to especially thank Captain Kirk Morgan and SGT Jeremy Sitter. Without you this wouldn’t have been possible.”
When the unthinkable happens, and we lose a loved one, everyone wants the support that comes from contact with friends and family.
What would you like the world to know about your loved one? We publish obituaries at the Webster Parish Journal. Ask your funeral director for information, but if you wish, contact us at wpjnewsla@gmail.com .
There is a fee of $80 for unlimited words with a photo, and payment is due before the obituary runs. Funeral announcements (date of birth and death, as well as funeral arrangements) are free.
Again, check with your funeral director as you are making arrangements, or contact us. We hope you don’t need us, but we are here for you.
Santa came just in time to a residence on Carolina Street where a woman, her son and grandson have been living under challenging conditions for months.
Jamie Williams’ refrigerator was the main casualty in a shots-fired incident that occurred in late October.
“I noticed the refrigerator stopped working right after the shooting,” Williams said. “The freezer – the top part – was like the North Pole. The bottom was like the desert.”
She said buying food was the biggest challenge.
“It would spoil in two to three days,” she added.
A car at the residence was shot four times in the same incident.
“My grandson and I had just left the house when it happened,” Williams said. “My son was here. He heard it but didn’t realize it was our house until he smelled gun powder. He called me to come right back.”
Williams said she could see the holes in the refrigerator, and when she opened the door, “My tea pitcher was busted.”
Williams found a modest refrigerator at a local furniture store, and the community came together to make it happen by Christmas Eve. Contributors include District D councilman Michael Roy, District E councilwoman Pam Bloxom, Mayor Terry Gardner, Attorney Eric Johnson, Minden Police Association and Webster Parish Journal.
Delivery was made on Christmas Eve, along with some groceries and donations to fill the new appliance.
“I’m so appreciative,” Williams said. “I feel real good about this. It will be a better Christmas now.”
The shooting that led to the eventual demise of Williams’ refrigerator is still under investigation.
From left, Minden Police Officer Jason Smith, Sgt. Mitch Hackett, Officer Kayla Little, Jamie Williams, Councilpersons Michael Roy and Pam Bloxom and Mayor Terry Gardner. Other contributors include Attorney Eric Johnson and Webster Parish Journal.
Christmas is the annual Christian festival celebrating Christ’s birth, held on December 25 in the Western Church. The traditional date of December 25 goes back as far as A.D. 273. Two pagan festivals honoring the sun were also celebrated on that day and it is possible that December 25 was chosen to counteract the influence of paganism. To this day some people feel uncomfortable with Christmas because they think it is somehow tainted by the pagan festivals held on that day. But Christians have long believed that the gospel not only transcends culture, it also transforms it. In A.D. 320 one theologian answered this criticism by noting, “We hold this day holy, not like the pagans because of the birth of the sun, but because of him who made it.”
The Dates of Christmas
Why do we celebrate on December 25th?
There are two specific theories for why we use the date of December 25th for Christmas.
First, people and religions of the day celebrated some sort of holiday around that time. From Jewish Chanukah to Pagan Winter Solstice to Germanic Yule to Roman Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (Birth of the Unconquered Sun); the sheer number of celebration days with trees, decorations, yule logs, mistletoe and feasts seem to point to a season of celebration to which Christians added the birth of Jesus as a counter-cultural event and possibly even an escape from the pagan holidays for early believers.
December 25th was the Saturnalia Festival of emancipation, gift giving and the triumph of light after the longest night. The Christian sees the truth implicit in this pagan tradition that reflects: Christ the Light of the world, His triumph over the night of sin in Luke 1:78-79:
“…Because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven 79 to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
The second theory centers around the date “accepted” by the Western Church of March 25 as the Annunciation or Immaculate Conception of Jesus in Mary’s womb. December 25 is 9 months later and thus celebrated as the birthday of Jesus. Regardless of the possible reasons for the date, the church calendar was set in the West during Constantine’s reign while the Eastern Church held onto the date of January 6 for some time.
Eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York’s Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history’s most reprinted newspaper editorial, appearing in part or whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps.
DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, ‘If you see it in THE SUN it’s so.’ Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?
VIRGINIA O’HANLON. 115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET.
VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You may tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
(Editor’s note: Since the Webster Parish Journal did not publish on Christmas Eve, Steve Graf’s column is running in our Christmas Day publication.)
It’s Christmas Eve and all across the world kids are waiting on the man called Santa Claus to make their dreams come true. It’s with great anticipation that most children will have a hard time going to sleep tonight. Some will even try and sneak a peek just to confirm or deny their thoughts that he really does exist. Now before we get to the reason we love the old man in the bright red suit, let me give you an angler’s perspective about this special time of year.
As I have stated before, bass fishermen are a funny bunch. They are guys who believe in many different things. One is their ability to catch and figure bass out. They think they are smarter than the little green fish they pursue. It’s a group that, when push comes to shove, are the most intelligent outdoorsmen on earth. But there are a few who are very superstitious, especially when it comes to things like a banana in the boat. If you want to upset a pro angler, get in their boat with a banana…they will freak out. It’s a superstition that goes all the way back to when our country’s settlers sailed across the ocean with bananas on their ship (which is a whole other story). Just like most families do on Christmas Eve, some anglers have rituals they do before every event. There are some anglers like Kevin Van Dam (greatest bass fisherman of all time) who have their wives make them lucky cookies to carry with them on tournament day. Some anglers will only eat at specific restaurants on certain nights of the week during the tournament. Some guys even wear the same underwear two or three days in a row if they are doing well in the event.
But one other thing we bass anglers believe in….Santa Claus! That’s right, we do believe in jolly Ole Saint Nick. You know the man in the bright red suit with black boots and a belly that shakes like a bowl full of jelly. Here are some reasons why we think so much of Ole Saint Nick….
1. He does so many good things for everyone young and old.
2. He’s committed to doing a good job every Christmas Eve.
3. Just like bass fishermen, he has high expectations of himself.
4. He takes great care of all the little people (Elves).
5. He takes pride in his sleigh looking good, like anglers do with their bass boats.
6. He makes sure all the reindeer are taken care of like anglers do with their outboard engines.
7. He gives attention to the misfit toys and makes them feel special.
8. Just like bass fishermen, he pays attention to detail.
9. Since the beginning of time, he never fails to do his job.
10. But the greatest reason anglers love Santa Claus….HE was the man who gave all of us anglers our first rod and reel combo.
It’s the belief in Santa that makes Christmas special, especially in the eyes of children. It does your heart good to see them light up once they get a chance to sit on Santa’s lap and tell him what they want for Christmas. Now there are a few (depending on age) who are scared out of their mind upon the sight of Santa Claus, but over time and as they grow up, Santa usually wins their love and support. I can remember as a kid going out early Christmas morning and looking for deer tracks in the front yard just to convince myself that he is real. I knew for a fact that he did not land on our roof since we did not have a chimney. My brother and I always left the traditional cookies and milk, but as I got older, I wondered why he would drink warm milk….but he always did!
I hope today’s article helped to jog your memory and take you back to a time when we were all so young and innocent. This truly is a special time of year as we get together with family and friends. But I want you to remember the real reason for the season, and that’s the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is the reason for this great celebration that we have all come to love and cherish. So, this Christmas enjoy all the food, gifts and family gatherings, but make sure you give thanks to Lord above for sending us his only son who sacrificed his life for each of us. I would like to wish each of you a “Merry Christmas!” Till next time, good luck, good fishing and don’t forget to set the hook!
Most adults have memories of the home where they grew up. But it isn’t often you find a family whose childhood is forever etched in stone (or concrete) in a place where many would give their eye teeth to live.
The five Mourad children – Kalani, Renee, Kathy, Kip and Kim can go to the site where the old fire station once stood on Pearl Street and see their names, as well as the date: ‘67.
“We moved in when I was in third grade,” Renee Mourad Stewart said. “There was this spot on a little wedge of grass. When I was in seventh grade – for some reason – the city decided to concrete that and have it as pull-in parking for the firemen.”
The grass was removed, concrete poured and Minden Fire Capt. George Mourad made sure his children’s names and the year were immortalized in the area.
Stewart said the children were most happy they didn’t have to mow in the front yard after that. It provided around five parking spaces, but she said the problem was the fire hydrant in front.
“Sometimes it became a problem because the firemen would back into it all the time,” she said.
Before the family moved to the Pearl Street location, the upstairs was home to Minden City Hall and City Court. When city hall was built downtown, that portion of the fire station was converted to living space.
Stewart said the Mourads were the second family to live there.
“The room where they held city court was our playroom,” she said. “It was huge. We used to roller skate in that room.”
Kip Mourad, now serving as Minden’s fire chief, said he was 6 when the family moved into the fire station.
“The top floor of the fire station – all the way across the top floor was one big room,” he said. “It had wood floors … no air conditioners. It had those roll up blinds. That was my room when we first moved in there, so with no air conditioner, I had to have windows up. For the first couple of nights, I didn’t even go to sleep because those blinds would blow. I was scared to death.”
As the only boy, Kip had his own room, while the four girls bunked together. But Stewart said there was plenty of room. Just one problem: five children, two parents and one bathroom.
“There was a bathroom downstairs for the firemen, but it had to be an emergency before we would go down there,” Stewart said.
Mourad said he remembers a gold fish pond with a weeping willow tree in the backyard and being able to ride his bicycle downtown.
“We lived on our bicycles,” he said.
And what child wouldn’t want to live in a place where you climbed stairs to get to your home and then slid down a fire pole to do it all over again.
Stewart remembers the fire alarm in the old clock on Main Street, in front of Holland-Crawford Insurance, now Under Dawgs.
“When there was a fire, Daddy would push the button at the fire station, and the alarm would sound on Main Street,” she said. “Sometimes, if the firemen didn’t get to the station on time, Daddy would pick them up on Main Street.”
Kathy Mourad Newer, who was five when the family moved there, remembers that alarm, as well.
“One of my favorite memories is the time the fire alarm kept going off,” she said. “It kept blowing over and over. We couldn’t figure out why. We found out Kim, who was little at the time, had crawled over and kept pushing the button.”
The family moved to the new fire station in the early 70’s in a property swap between the city and the Sentell family. Now Sheppard Street, the address was Dennis Street, at that time.
Capt. George Mourad retired in 1985 and he and wife, Chris moved to the family home on Todd. Christine Mourad died in 2009 and George followed in 2013.
“I guess I understand why they tore it down, but I wish they hadn’t,” all of the children said, of their original fire station home.
If you answered yes to the above questions, then we would love to talk with you.
Webster Parish Journal is looking for a writer to help cover our parish. We want someone who loves to write features about the people who make this community great.
We also need someone who can take on some assignments and perhaps help cover local government.
If this sounds like you, please email wpjnewsla@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
A Minden man was arrested last week for threatening his ex-girlfriend.
Dominic Washington, 30, of the 500 block of MLK Dr., Minden, is charged with intimidating, impeding or injuring a witness, domestic abuse aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to Minden Police Chief Steve Cropper, Washington was arrested December 1 for domestic abuse battery. The two had been living apart for two months.
“When officers arrived at his ex-girlfriend’s house, Washington was brandishing a black handgun and telling her she had better drop charges,” Cropper said.
Off. Jason Lee, Sgt. Donald Brice and Ofc. Miller were arresting officers.
The Webster Parish Journal “WPJ” will publish paid engagement and wedding announcements, as well as anniversaries, for couples who reside in the parish, who have relatives in the parish or who are getting married in the parish. (Fees apply.)
This move by the Journal allows couples to showcase their announcement.
Information for engagement announcements include:
Digital photograph of the couple
The couple’s names
The couple’s hometowns
High school and/or college of the couple
Parents’ names and/or grandparents’ names
Ties to the parish
Wedding time, date, and place
An interesting fact about the couple
Information for the wedding announcements include:
Digital photograph of the couple
The couple’s names
The couple’s hometowns
High school and/or college of the couple
Parents’ names and/or grandparents’ names
Officiant
Attendants
Ties to the parish
Wedding time, date, and place
For engagement and wedding announcement fees and/or to submit information for publication, please email wpjnewsla@gmail.com.
As 7th-12th graders at Glenbrook School finished their midterms, elementary students had their Christmas parties and continued wearing ugly Christmas sweaters. Glenbrook staff even celebrated with some snacks and were blessed with gift cards from wonderful parents. Glenbrook wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and very happy new year!
Mack Memorial Library in Springhill recently hosted a gingerbread decorating party. Here are just a couple of happy decorators. The Webster Parish Library thanks their patrons for choosing to spend their time inside the doors of the library.
Angela Allen, 38, of the 200 block of Joyce Lane, Minden, was arrested by Minden Police on active warrants for exploitation of the infirmed and cruelty to the infirmed.
December 20
Charles Mark Rossman, 58, of Green Park Rd., Doyline, was arrested by Webster Parish Sheriff’s deputies for driving while intoxicated (first offense) and improper lane usage.
December 21
Hailey Taylor, 24, of Castor, was arrested for disturbing the peace with intoxication.
December 22
Jeremiah Richardson, 23, of the 300 block of Graywood, Minden, was arrested by WPSO for domestic abuse battery.
When the unthinkable happens, and we lose a loved one, everyone wants the support that comes from contact with friends and family.
What would you like the world to know about your loved one? We publish obituaries at the Webster Parish Journal. Ask your funeral director for information, but if you wish, contact us at wpjnewsla@gmail.com .
There is a fee of $80 for unlimited words with a photo, and payment is due before the obituary runs. Funeral announcements (date of birth and death, as well as funeral arrangements) are free.
Again, check with your funeral director as you are making arrangements, or contact us. We hope you don’t need us, but we are here for you.
