Webster Parish Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $80. Contact your funeral provider or wpjnewsla@gmail.com . Must be paid in advance of publication. (Above death notices are free of charge.)
It has been four months since the HGTV Home Town Kickstart episode initially aired, featuring the City of Minden. Being one of several towns chosen for the series, the purpose was to “kickstart” and revitalize the selected small towns by boosting economic growth using tourism and community pride. So, has the city experienced an uptick in visitors since the April air date?
Occupancy is actually down compared to the first quarter of the year, so perhaps the next “kickstart” should include a strategy to give the visitors just swinging through a reason to stay a little longer.
Many residents complain that most of the city shuts down after 8 p.m., which forces families to explore options and travel to neighboring cities, such as Shreveport-Bossier or Ruston – which leads to those travelers staying in other hotels outside of the parish in another city that might have more to offer as far as night life.
With there being no straightforward way to track the amount of visitors, occupancy tax revenue numbers are the only semi reliable data that can be used and, due to the pandemic, the Webster Parish Convention and Visitors Commission is having to base this year’s projections on occupancy from 2019.
“2020 was unusually low due to travel and meeting cancellations and 2021 was unusually high because everyone was ready to get out and about after being cooped up all year long,” said Serena Gray, Executive Director of WPCVC. “Some hotels or campsites may only host one person per room, per night and others may host 5. All we can conclude based on the information we receive is whether we booked more overnight stays this year based solely on occupancy tax revenues. So far, we are up in revenues every month this year in comparison to 2019.”
The first four months of the year showed higher percentages with January up by 31 percent, February by 16 percent, March by 23 percent and April by 16 percent. The last three months following the HGTV program were lower, but still in the green compared to 2019. May was up by 8 percent, June by 10 percent and July by 7 percent.
At last month’s tourism meeting, commissioner Sara McDaniel, who also owns Simply Southern Cottage and the Cottage on Fort, said that she received notice from the online marketplace, Airbnb, that searches for lodging in our area were up by 69 percent. Are those searches for lodging translating into actual visitors?
Not according to Jay Kumar, owner of Exacta Inn and Holiday Inn Express in Minden. He said he has not seen a rise in occupancy since the HGTV show about Minden aired in April.
“In fact, in the last four months, occupancy has declined,” Kumar said. “The first two months (of the year) were good, but these last four, it’s gone down and I don’t know why.”
This reiterates the occupancy tax revenue percentage numbers. Kumar also said his business has been much slower than the same time last year.
With Main Street being a focus on the HGTV program, it was expected for tourism to increase particularly in that part of the city and especially at the featured Geaux Fresh Bistro & Bakery. Owner and Executive Chef, Jodie Waller-Martin said they have a book specifically for HGTV visitors to sign.
“We have had close to 200 visitors since the show aired,” she said.
After speaking with multiple business owners located nearby along the brick road, the reviews were not as extravagant, but most agreed that they have experienced a slight increase in visitors. Some of them said they were from out of town, but they did not all agree that they were in correlation to “Home Town Kickstart.”
Under Dawgs Sports Grill owner Claudine Thomas said, “Most of the visitors who have come to Under Dawgs were because of Rick Rowe featuring us on ‘Tasty Tuesday.’”
This weekly segment is aired by KTBS Channel 3 News, where each time they feature a different local Ark-La-Tex restaurant. The episode featuring Under Dawgs in June was the initial segment leading up to that week’s KTBS Community Caravan which happens once a month and profiles a different community in the region.
Main Street Barber Shop owner Thomas Adams, said he has seen an increase in customers over the last few months. Some of his new customers are not HGTV visitors. They are not visitors at all – they are new residents of the city.
“I have definitely seen an uptick of people moving to Minden, but I think most of the people moving here are due to oilfield services bouncing back,” said Adams.
Regardless of what drew them to the City of Minden – whether it was an hour of airtime on a national platform, a ten-minute local segment, or a job opportunity, whether they are taking up residence in our city or just passing through – the ultimate goal is to continue making improvements, rebuilding, developing and empowering. A kickstart is exactly that, a start.
Minden Police arrested a local man Sunday evening for physically abusing a juvenile.
Anthony Kelly, 35, of the 100 block of Robinson Dr., Minden, is charged with cruelty to a juvenile and domestic abuse battery with child endangerment.
Chief Steve Cropper said Sgt. Mitch Hackett and Off. Matthew Hicks were dispatched to the Robinson Drive residence in reference to a reported battery.
“The caller advised she had captured the battery on her security cameras,” Cropper said. “When the officers arrived, the female showed them the video, which showed a male identified as Kelly walking up to a male juvenile and slapping him in the face, causing him to fall to the ground.”
According to the video, Kelly lifted the juvenile from the ground by the neck and they began walking.
“Kelly then slapped the juvenile in the back of the head as they were walking,” said the chief. “After that Kelly upper cuts the juvenile in the stomach causing him to fall to his knees. Then, they continued to the residence.”
When officers made contact with Kelly, he was reportedly mirandized and asked about the incident.
“Kelly stated he only disciplined his son,” Cropper said. “He was arrested and the juvenile’s mother was contacted. The juvenile suffered a busted lip and abrasions on his chest.”
Kelly was booked at Minden PD and transported to Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The receiving line stretched from the open casket past the back door and into the lobby where we signed the guest book.
Even after two days of a houseful of friends, the mom and dad were not close to being hugged-out. I don’t know what else you do when your child, 25, is gone. Suicide. And there’s the open casket, and you’re at church on the business end of the receiving line.
I guess you keep accepting hugs, and you hold on.
And you wish you could turn back the clock.
We all wish we could turn back the clock on some things. I suppose you never wish it more than at a time exactly as this.
Who has answers?
And what do you do? One day a brother and son and teammate are quietly neat, efficient, a good-grades maker, a championship junior golfer, and a young believer. But after one semester at school on a golf scholarship, his room looked like the inside of a clothes-washing machine, his grades reflected indifference, his clubs just idle, old toys. A bad crowd, a bad decision, a bad deal.
He couldn’t leave the stuff alone. The drugs. He’d have good runs, then a trip to the bad side of town. Nothing he did was out of the ordinary for a guy chasing a lie he’s bought into, hook, line, sinker, future, and life. Stories like this more often than not turn out the same way: somebody gets killed in the end.
He was sweet. He was gentle. He helped the little-boy golfers on the course where the family lived. Polite to everybody. Lots of friends who reflected most of what he had been before The Big Lie knocked, and he’d answered, and invited him in.
He was talented. Three years ago, he dusted off the golf clubs, practiced a few days, won the city championship, and flashed all the old promise. No big surprise: he was that good.
But his problem was worse. And a lot bigger than he was. So, it was never a shock when the shadows would come and he’d be gone again until, at age 25, he was gone for good.
His parents did all they could. Tens of thousands of dollars invested in the last year alone, getting him help. Loving him soft and loving him tough. Hugging him close, giving him space. Praying and hoping. They never lost hope. But for a tiny window of time, their son did.
It must be a terrible weariness, the one that hits someone just before they call it quits. The moment when all motivation is gone. To some, it comes after a pink slip or a divorce paper or a dream’s death. Desperation blasted with a kind of veiled self-honesty that must say, “Well, this is the only way left. The only thing right. The only way out.”
A hopeless, frustrated kind of tired and weary. Hope’s not gone, but it’s lost. And if a piece of it isn’t found quickly enough, a receiving line and a shovel and a lot of tears are just around the corner.
When they found him in his room, his faithful dog Dice, 14, wouldn’t leave him. Dice would have stayed by him forever. Same as everyone else. But a guy at the end must feel as if he’s taking up space, and always will be. Maybe when hope is lost, the whole system breaks down.
“His whole life, he was good to everybody but himself.” I heard that time and again on the day of the funeral, the day of the open casket, and the hold-tight-to-the-promises preaching. Heard it from people who loved him, from people scared and hurt by so much of what he’d done, people who knew the beautiful boy inside him but never could push the good deep enough in there to change his heart.
Why do some of us in the dirty pile of broken people believe just enough to dodge the early darkness, and some of us don’t? No answer fits. But I know there’s a pile. This funeral was proof of that.
In it is the once used and no longer wanted, the never used and never useful, the cracked and the torn and the misshapen. And I know there’s a guy who wants the pile to stay just as it is, a guy who wants us to feel worthless and hopeless and ashamed.
But I know there’s another guy too, one who wants us to see grace and mercy and feel a conviction to change, a guy gentle and humble in heart, a man who offers rest for the weary and burdened. He champions the underdog. He loves a comeback story. And he majors in solving the problems of people broken in the pile.
How well do you know your high school football? Beginning in September, you’ll have a chance to prove yourfootball knowledge and picking skills in the Webster Parish Journal’s Pick’em contest.
And, each weekly winner over the 10 weeks of the contest will take home $100 plus a $50 gift card from one of our local merchants. Anyone is eligible to participate. All it takes is an email address and a combination of skill and a little luck.
Each week, 10 local and area high school football games plus two tie-breakers based on total points of two selected teams will be posted in the Webster Parish Journal. And just like the Journal, there’s no cost to enter.
Signing up for the contest only takes a couple of minutes. Simply click on the portal for Pick’em and go from there.
Entries are now open for Friday night games scheduled to begin September 2. Entries will remain open until 4 p.m. each Friday before the listed games. Weekly winners will be notified Sunday, and will be announced in the Wednesday edition of the Journal. A photo of each winner will also be published at the site of the merchant handing out the $50 gift certificate.
Also picking during the contest will be members of the Journal staff plus three well-known local residents and officials. These pickers will not be eligible for the cash prize but will be rewarded by their success.
Winners will be revealed each week, but all picks are kept confidential.
The Webster Parish Journal will publish an extra day (Saturday) during the football season. Look to us for the best coverage of local high school action plus college teams of interest locally.
Good luck and remember entries into the contest, and subscriptions to the Webster Parish Journal, are free.
Today Chris shares with us a story about helping others find value in their lives even when the world has told them they are worthless. If you’ve never heard Chris share his story about his time fighting Human Trafficking, you’ve likely never heard about the work he was able to do with Cassie Hammett. The two helped turn around countless lives and save even more.
This story is special and powerful. So I’ll step aside and let my friend tell his tale.
Verses 7-11 of chapter eight of the Book of John state: 7 “When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
The worst thing a Christian can do is devalue another person. This act harms the success of the Great Commission, the church body, and the individual Christian witness to someone. To devalue another human being will not inspire others as you share your beliefs in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
I must confess, though, that I did indeed devalue people during my 19 years of law enforcement. This happened a lot, especially early in my career, and more specifically with violent offenders. About 11 years in, I was assigned as the Lead FBI Agent for the Northwest Louisiana FBI Human Trafficking Task Force. When this happened, I began dealing with literally hundreds and thousands of prostitutes. Many of these women were forced into sex industry and some were willing participants who did it for the money.
Over the eight years that I lead this task force, we would average, per year, the arrest/recovery of over 300 prostitutes/pimps and over 15 recovered juveniles. These children had been forced into the sex industry at very young ages. Yes, in our Shreveport/Bossier area we would recover approximately 15 of these juveniles each year. Unfortunately, we do not recover them all. Think about that. All those young people lost to that horrible world.
During that time, the youngest juvenile I recovered was 14 years old, and we recovered well over a hundred under the age of 18. At first it was so easy to devalue these people’s lives, who they were, where they came from, and judge the sin in their lives as uglier than my own sin.
Early into the building of this Task Force, GOD put me in the path of Cassie Hammett, a seriously courageous bold soldier in our living GOD’S army. Cassie founded a ministry called “PURCHASED,” and she had me at hello when she told me the reason she called her ministry what she did.
“Chris, these girls cannot be purchased because they have already been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ,” she told me, and I immediately asked Cassie to be a part of this task force and she was the first ever non-government employee, non-law enforcement, non-gun toting person to ever be a part of this type of government task force.
The stories of these women are terrible and sad and way too many to tell. They are heart-breaking, horrific, demonic tragedies, but some had happy endings. They became happy, renewed, and most importantly – they became believers in our JESUS. Cassie literally taught me how to not devalue people and their souls, which are no dirtier than my own. While in hotel rooms on sting operations, I was able to speak to these ladies about their lives and our LIVING GOD.
One day I arrested an older lady, about 45, who had greatly exceeded the average life span of a prostitute. She wasn’t a believer in the Way and worked independently of anyone – especially pimps. At the time we spoke, there was no talking her out of that lifestyle. I did, however, not devalue her life and decisions, and after she was released from jail, I continued to send Bible verses and short devotionals about our Jesus to her.
Sometimes I wouldn’t hear from her for long periods of time, and sometimes she might say hello back or something short, but she never dropped the phone number nor told me to stop communicating with her. Then in January 2021, I received the following text message from this lady:
“I wanted to take the time to let you know how important you are to me. I love you and owe you a lot. I have been out of the business now for a year. I could not have done this without your love and support. It’s not been easy to stay out, however, I remember the bible verses you have sent me over the last 5 years 8 months 15 days and 17 mins, since we met, and I got my only set of silver bracelets, man were they ugly. I hope you pick out better jewelry for your wife.”
We must all begin truly loving people like Jesus did the women in Luke 7: 36-50. In this story, notice how the religious leader devalued the women while our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Messiah, loved the women. Try truly loving people like Jesus did and see how your witness grows.
Don’t Give Up, Givem Jesus!!!!
(Chris Plants is a founding member of Webster Parish Men of Courage. Their mission is to encourage, equip, and empower the Men of God to become spiritual leaders in their home, local church, community, and workplace. Webster Parish is now home to a Women of Courage chapter as well as Families of Courage.)
(Josh Beavers is an award-winning journalist who has five times been recognized for excellence in opinion writing by the Louisiana Press Association. At one time, he was editor of The Good News, a weekly publication that shared information about local churches and men and women of God.
Guest speaker for Thursday’s noon meeting of the Minden Lions Club will be Sherrie McMurray, zone chairman for Lion District 8-L.
Sherrie was born and reared in Franklin Parish and has resided in Webster Parish all of her married life. She is married to Tommy McMurray and they have raised two children, Joe McMurray and Angella McMurray Pope. They have one grandson, Preston.
Sherrie has been a member of the Minden Evening Lions Club since 1999. In her local club she has served as tail twister, lion tamer, board member, membership chairman and is a three-time past president. She currently serves on the Cub Sight Eye Screening Committee for the Minden and Minden Evening clubs.
On the district level, Sherrie has served as zone chairman several times.She is currently serving as zone chairman for the 2022-2023 term. Sherrie has served as district secretary three times and district treasurer twice. She is currently serving as district secretary under District 8-L Gov. Terry Harkey.
Sherrie has received from different International Lions Presidents: the Letter of Commendation in 2010-2011; the Certificate of Appreciation in 2013-2014; and the Certificate of Appreciation again in 2019-2020.Sherrie is also a Melvin Jones Fellow.
She was honored for her community service in 2018 by being named Minden’s Woman of the Year.
Sherrie will be introduced Thursday by Lion Buddy Crawford. She will be accompanied by Lion Dru Brown, president of the Minden Evening Lions Club.
If I carried a business card, there would be a lot of job titles listed on it— restaurateur, author, producer, columnist, writer, cook, designer, documentarian, show host, travel host, board member, manager, president, CEO, founder, and chairman of the board. But the most important job title I have— or ever will have, and it’s not even close— is “Dad.” Actually, “Dad,” if my son is addressing me, “Daddy,” if it’s my daughter.
Most of those job titles are positions and responsibilities I sought— some I dreamed of as a young man, and others I never expected. I’m embarrassed to say “dad” was never something I thought about.
Though I always wanted to be a father, even as a teenager, I’m not sure why. It probably had something to do with losing my father at an early age. I could probably go sit on a doctor’s couch for an hour a week for a couple of years and figure that out. But to what end? The point is I wanted to be a father but— had you asked me in the mid 1980s when I was in full-restaurant mode— being a father would have been way down on the list behind restaurateur, chef, and/or business owner.
When I met my wife in the summer of 1988 neither of us wanted to get married. She claimed early, and often, that she never wanted to have children. It’s so strange to type that sentence today as she is 100 percent totally devoted to our kids and is the absolute best mother I know. I, on the other hand, wanted a whole litter of kids. I would have had a dozen if it were up to me. But I was super focused on my career and building up the restaurant.
Then my daughter was born, and everything changed in that moment.
I can honestly say that my entire life’s focus, mission, and purpose was transformed in the maternity ward of the Forrest General Hospital at 8:10 a.m. on May 31, 1997.
I knew I would be excited about having a child. I knew I would love and adore a child. But when they put that crying a little girl in my arms it’s as if a box, heretofore hidden inside me for 36 years, opened instantly, and my capacity to love another being amplified exponentially. The degree with which I thought I would love my child paled in comparison to the feeling I had in that moment. It’s the same deep feeling I have today, if not more so.
My son was born four years later to the same sentiment. We stopped at one each. My friend Tracy says, “With two you can play man-to-man. With three you gotta play zone. And zone is never as good as man to man.”
I have loved and enjoyed every phase of their childhoods. Even the early crying-at-night stages. My wife did almost all the late-night rocking, but when it was my turn, I can remember telling myself, “There will be a day when you will miss this and wish you were holding this little infant in your arms. Treasure it.” Those days came, and they came too fast.
Through elementary, junior high, high school, football, soccer, theatre performances, cheerleading, and long trips when no one would be quiet in the back seat, I would do it all over again, tenfold. There’s almost nothing I would skip.
Though of all those phases— even the 10-year-old phase when I was seen as the greatest thing alive in my son’s eyes— I’m not sure I would trade any of it for where we are today. My 25-year-old daughter, just moved back from New Orleans where she was working as an interior designer. She has a house in town and is working with another interior designer. She loves her job. My 21-year-old son has just finished a six-month stint in Florence, Italy cooking in the kitchen of a friend. In another week he will head to culinary school in New York to become a chef.
I never pushed my career on them. The restaurant industry is brutal enough, and if one isn’t totally in love and obsessed with it, he or she will be miserable. My son came to me six years ago and stated his intention to go into the restaurant business. I laid out an eight-year plan for him to follow. He is currently almost halfway through that plan. My daughter never expressed interest in the restaurant business. They both worked for me in their high school years, but we always knew she would be an interior designer. And she is a very good at what she does.
Maybe that’s what makes yesterday so special. I spent two hours in the kitchen of our Italian restaurant with our lead prep cook and kitchen manager at Tabella in Hattiesburg, Joseph Heidelberg, the new executive chef at Enzo in Richland, Justin Ferguson, my business partner, Jarred Patterson, and my son. We were developing recipes for the new Italian restaurant we will open in a matter of weeks. The menu will include American-Italian food such as the food we have been serving at Tabella for the last 11 years, but it will also offer authentic Italian food that I have learned from my yearly trips to Italy, and my son is leading the effort on those dishes as he learned many of them during his most recent stint.
After a full day in the kitchen, I picked my daughter up at her house and we drove to Ridgeland, Mississippi to the new restaurant so she could start moving forward on the design plan. It was just the two of us, which is kind of rare, as she spends most of her family time with her mother or as part of the whole (the four of us). I loved it. The conversation never lulled. We spoke about my vision for the restaurants, and other restaurants that are in the works. She sat in the passenger seat and thumbed through the plans as we discussed colors, coverings, and artwork.
At the restaurant, we walked around and measured and did all the things that an interior designer needs to do to get her job done. Then we had dinner. I have traveled to a lot of places this year. I even spent three months eating my way through Spain and Italy. But no dinner can compare to this one where she and I just sat and talked shop while we ate.
On the ride home, we stopped talking about business and focused on music. I played DJ for a while, and then she took over the car’s sound system. We talked about the music we were listening to these days and shared new songs the other hadn’t heard yet. It was a perfect end to a perfect day.
Thirty-five years ago, when I got in this business, I was at a point in my life where I had no intentions or prospects of marriage. I just wanted to own a restaurant. Just one. That was my dream. Kids were nowhere in my top-20 life goals. Today, my family is at the top of the pyramid. I guess we must be open to new experiences, and always be available for what God has in store. Today I am a happy man. I am in the business I love so much and working with the two human beings on this planet I love the most. My wife understands that last statement, by the way.
Onward!
Polenta
2 cups Polenta
6 cups Chicken stock
1 TB Kosher salt
1 tsp Fresh ground black pepper
In a 2 quart sauce pot, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the polenta or cornmeal and reduce to medium-low heat and stir constantly until it begins to thicken, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with a small amount of extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.
(Robert St. John is a chef, restaurateur and published cookbook author from Hattiesburg, Miss.)
If you were contacted for a Q&A concerning the office for which you qualified, your deadline is fast approaching to email your answers.
5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1 is the deadline, and we will not accept any others after that time and date. However, it will be noted in the story that follows, so readers will understand that everyone was contacted and given a chance to respond.
Using the email address provided by you on the Secretary of State’s website during qualification, we emailed all candidates for Minden City Council, Minden Police Chief and Minden Mayor with questions.
If you did not receive your questions or perhaps accidentally deleted them, please contact us at wpjnewsla@gmail.com.
Please return your answers to the same email address and add a photo to be used with the story.
Also, you still have time to get in your free announcement story.
Last Wednesday, the youth and children of First United Methodist Church of Minden went out into the community to pray over the different schools in Minden. They prayed for all students, faculty and parents as they enter the new school year.
Johnny Allen was born on November 27, 1942, during World War II. During his teen years, Johnny occasionally got into minor trouble, but nothing too serious. In 1961, Seattle policemen were investigating a rash of home burglaries in which about $2,500 worth of goods and cash was stolen. On Tuesday night, May 2, Johnny and three friends were riding around in Seattle having a good time when they were pulled over by a policeman. Upon speaking with the boys and checking the paperwork on the car, the policeman learned that the car was stolen. All were arrested. Johnny and his three friends were transported to the Rainier Vista 4-H Youth Center. Johnny was a passenger in the car and, with no evidence to prove it was he who stole the car, Johnny was eventually released to his father. Johnny claimed he had no idea the car was stolen and his father believed him.
Just three days later, another policeman pulled another car over in Seattle. Just as before, the policeman learned that the car was stolen. Just as before, Johnny was a passenger in the stolen car. All were arrested. This time, Johnny did not get off so easily. After spending seven days in Rainier Vista, he was taken to court to face the judge. The judge considered the fact that Johnny was experienced at being in stolen cars. The public defender assigned to Johnny’s case put forth a plea bargain to the judge. The judge suspended Johnny’s two-year sentence provided that he immediately enlists in one of the branches of the military. Johnny had no desire to join the military, but he had less desire to go to jail. On May 29, 1961, Johnny joined the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne and left Seattle on a southbound train for Fort Ord, California.
The United States had committed itself to stop the spread of communism in the world. Just a month prior to James’s arrests, at the height of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, the United States covertly financed and directed the Cuban exiles’ invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. The invasion, part of a larger mission to overthrow Fidel Castro, was an utter disaster. Tensions between the United States and Cuba grew worse seemingly with each passing day. Both the United States and the Soviet Union continued testing nuclear weapons despite agreements not to do so. After the Bay of Pigs, Cuba became allied with the Soviet Union. With tensions flaring in multiple parts of the world, it seemed likely that Johnny would eventually see military action.
After completing eight weeks of basic training, Johnny was sent to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, the home of the Screaming Eagles Air Assault Division. From there, Johnny wrote a letter to his father which detailed the challenges he was experiencing: “There’s nothing but physical training and harassment [sic] here for two weeks, then when you go to jump school, that’s when you get hell. They work you to DEATH, fussing and fighting.”
In January 1962, after eight months and eight days in the Army, Johnny finally earned his 101st Division Screaming Eagles patch. Johnny, however, was homesick. He missed his family. He missed his girlfriend, Betty Jean, and he missed his guitar. Johnny knew that he could not get a pass to return home to visit and knew they would be unable to visit him. His guitar was another matter altogether. He wrote to his father and pleaded for him to send his guitar, a red Danelectro Silverton electric guitar on which he had scrawled the name Betty Jean after his girlfriend, to the Army base as soon as possible.
Johnny seemed to change once his guitar arrived. His constant strumming annoyed his fellow soldiers. They derided him for talking to and even sleeping with his guitar. Eventually, some of the soldiers in his unit hid his guitar. After begging and pleading with them, the soldiers finally returned Johnny’s prized guitar. His superior officers in the Army were displeased at Johnny’s performance as a soldier. He often abandoned his work details to play the guitar.
In February 1962, Army Captain Gilbert Batchman sent Johnny for a physical and psychiatric examination. Captain Batchman concluded that “Individual is unable to conform to military rules and regulations. Misses bed checks; sleeps while supposed to be working; unsatisfactory duty performance. Requires excessive supervision at all times.” The Army brought up proceedings against Johnny to determine his fate in the military. Johnny declined counsel and submitted no statements or evidence on his own behalf. Johnny was ultimately given an honorable discharge from the Army.
The remainder of Johnny’s short life revolved around guitars and music. He continued to sleep next to and to talk to his guitar. On September 18, 1970, Johnny’s girlfriend woke up and found that Johnny was unconscious and unresponsive. Johnny was dead. With only four years as a mainstream artist, Johnny became one of the most influential electric guitarists in history, and one of the most celebrated musicians of the 20th century.
In 2019, the post office at 4301 4th Street in Renton Highlands, Washington, which is about a mile from Johnny’s grave, was renamed in Johnny’s honor. You see, Johnny Allen was the name he was born with but not the name he died with. Four years after his birth, for reasons that have never been fully explained, Johnny’s parents changed his name to James Marshall. The post office in Renton Highlands is now known as The James Marshall “Jimi’ Hendrix United States Post Office.
Source: Steven Roby and Brad Schreiber, Becoming Jimi Hendrix from Southern Crossroads to Psychedelic London, The Untold Story of a Musical Genius (New York: Da Capo Press, 2010), p.9-24.
As a kid who was raised in the outdoors of East Texas, my days growing up in Mt. Pleasant were filled with fun, fishing, hunting, and work. A water hose was more than something you watered the garden with; it was a survival tool while we played outside all day. You had freedom as a kid as long as you made it home before the streetlights came on. We were up at sunrise and hated sunsets. Our childhood was spent outside and not inside the house. We lived in the great outdoors and found many ways to entertain ourselves. Today, we’ll go back in time and take a good look at what it was like growing up in the late 60s and early 70s…the good ole days.
Kids of my generation were made and told to get outside and play…and play we did! We played in the ditches, streets, and creeks. We climbed trees for fun and ran barefoot and shirtless daily. Sunscreen did not exist, and we cut the grass barefoot until a parent caught us and made us put on shoes. Our main form of transportation was a bicycle, and we rode our bikes five to ten miles daily. We raced, jump ditches, and ended most of our days by riding our bikes behind the city mosquito fogging truck at dusk as it made its way through town. It’s a miracle we did not die from lung cancer or get run over by a car.
We met at the city swimming pool at least twice a week hoping to get a glimpse of the high school girls sunning and putting on tanning oil. We challenged ourselves to go off the high dive and survive! We peed in the pool because it was convenient while looking around to make sure no one saw us. We played piggyback wars in the water and dove for money at the bottom of the pool. But no one wore a bathing suit…we wore cut-off jeans which I believe are banned at pools today.
Every afternoon we sat under a shade tree listening for the music coming from the ice cream truck as it came within hearing distance. Then we raced into our houses and begged for money and quickly ran back outside just in time to stop the ice cream truck before he got out of sight. We were so out of breath that we could hardly order what we wanted. Some days under that shade tree, we ate watermelon that had been put on ice earlier in the day. But a watermelon feast was not complete without a seed spitting contest, which I excelled at! Just another talent God blessed me with! We made homemade ice cream by turning the handle on a wooden bucket. Yes, it was hard work, but the reward was worth it!
I learned to hunt at the age of 8 by hunting squirrels with my best friend (Kevin) and his dad, who I called Uncle Tracy. Not really related, but for some reason, I always called Kevin’s mom, Aunt Nancy, and his dad, Uncle Tracy. Uncle Tracy was a great squirrel hunter and taught us how to do it the right way. He took the time to not only take us hunting but teach us gun safety as well. He taught us how to stalk squirrels while keeping an eye out for snakes. There were days when Uncle Tracy would go by himself, and I believe it was so he could get his limit. Due to our inability to stalk quietly, Uncle Tracy gave us nicknames…lead foot and stumblebum. Not sure who was which, but I’m pretty sure the names were fitting.
Uncle Tracy was a great teacher as he taught us how to be patient and take a good shot. I learned to shoot with a single shot 410 and I think that’s why I became pretty good with a shotgun later in life. My idea of duck hunting was sneaking up behind the dam on our stock ponds at our ranch and shooting ducks while they were sitting on the water. The problem was after I shot them, I had to wait for the wind to blow the ducks closer to shore so I could retrieve them. But one thing was for certain, I never left behind a single duck no matter how long it took for them to drift to the shore. A good hunter doesn’t condone wanton waste.
Next week, I’ll go into more detail about my youth and how my generation was shaped by the time we spent in the great outdoors. Till then, good luck, good fishing, and don’t forget your sunscreen!
Steve Graf – Owner/Co-Host Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show & Tackle Talk Liv
7 until 9 p.m. Fourth Fridays at The Farm. Twang Darkly will play a 2 hour set of their rural space music. Their ethereal sound is made possible with the use of hand-built instruments. Herm’s Meals on Wheels will be selling BBQ plates, and artist Trent Dion Soto will have his artwork for sale. We are currently looking to add more artists on this date so that we can support our local art community. There is no vendor fee and artists keep 100% of their sales. Admission to this event is FREE, and it is family-friendly. Guests are invited to bring their lawn chairs and money to tip the band, buy food, or purchase artwork. Guests are also welcome to bring a cooler with their own food and nonalcoholic beverages for just $5 at the gate. Link to facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/325187109781570/325187113114903/
Sept. 1
4-H enrollment begins.
Sept. 3
Vintage Car Club Show and Shine, Car and Bike show, 2nd Kiddie Car show. Downtown Minden.
Sept. 10
10 a.m. until 2 p.m. First Baptist Church Cornhole Tournament to benefit SEEDS Women’s Center.
Annual W.H.O. Golf Scramble at Springhill Country Club. Three-man team, $300 per team. Lunch to be served. Mulligans, closest to the hole, split the pot, raffles and more. Cash payouts for winners. Register your team at Springhill Country Club clubhouse. Sponsorship opportunities available.
Sept. 12
6 p.m. Tie One On Museum Gala Fundraiser 2022 for Dorcheat Historical Museum.
Sept. 13
15 under 40 Awards banquet. Greater Minden Chamber of Commerce, 318-377-4240.
October 3-8
National 4-H Week
October 4-7
Parish Fair and Livestock Show.
October 11
9 a.m. until 3 p.m. 4-H Fashion and Interior Design Workshop #1 at Cultural Crossroads Farm. Pre-registration required.
October 12
6 p.m. 4-H Jr. Leader Meeting, Minden Extension Office.
October 13
9 a.m. until 3 p.m. 4-H Global Cooking Workshop #1, Minden Extension Office. Pre-Registration Required.
4-H Pumpkin Decorating Contest & LA Commodity Cookery
October 15
11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Minden Makers Fair
Our 4th annual Minden Makers Fair will take place at The Farm of Cultural Crossroads. A fun-filled day packed with local artists and makers, hands-on demonstrations, activities for children, food vendors, and more! Guests will also be able to view submissions made to our halloween-themed art competition, Moonlight Madness. More information about this event can be found at: https://www.mindenmakersfair.com/
5:30 until 11 p.m. After the gates close on Minden Makers Fair, The Farm will reopen at 5:30 for our 3rd annual Moonlight Madness halloween art competition and haunted house. The gallery reception will begin at 5:30 with awards being announced and refreshments served. Once the sun goes down, we will open our kid-friendly haunted house located under the pavilion and pass out candy. Guests are encouraged to wear a costume. For more information, or to receive an application to submit artwork into the competition, please call (318) 268-8153 or email CulturalCrossroadsOfMinden@gmail.com.
October 17
5 p.m. LYFE Series Meeting #1, Springhill Library.
Webster Parish Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $80. Contact your funeral provider or wpjnewsla@gmail.com . Must be paid in advance of publication. (Above death notices are free of charge.)
It was a long weekend for local law enforcement and the Louisiana National Guard’s Youth Challenge Program.
Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker said he was contacted around 12:15 a.m. Sunday by YCP administration at Camp Minden about a disturbance.
“They were having an incident out there of a bunch of unruly YCP kids,” Parker said. “They needed some assistance to get control of the situation.”
The sheriff’s department contacted Louisiana State Police and Minden Police for assistance and a K9 officer was dispatched, as well.
“They had several cadets out there that did not want to follow orders,” said the sheriff. “There were certain ones that were instigating what was going on out there. They were being disruptive, but once we started arresting them and putting them in vehicles, things started calming down.”
Parker said his deputies were “being spit at and spit on” by the cadets.
“A lot of unruly behavior,” he said. “Most of the kids were not from here. They were from Alexandria south to Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lafayette.”
Parker said law enforcement arrested 8 females and 1 male.
“The male subject resisted officers,” he said. “All of them were taken to the sheriff’s office and issued citations for various charges. Parents and guardians were contacted and told to come pick them up. It took about 10 hours. It was a long process.”
YCP is a voluntary program, so if a cadet “escapes,” it is not really considered an escape.
“There were 4 or 5 walk-offs, too,” the sheriff said Monday. “I think all but one have been located and returned to YCP.”
The program at Camp Minden has seen much success and was in the beginning weeks of the current session. The sheriff said he is “very high” on the program.
“The majority of the kids there are willing to learn and straighten out their lives and do what they are supposed to,” he continued. “A high percentage go on to live productive lives. We want to support them, and we won’t let a few bad apples ruin it for all of them.”
During the 5 month Residential Phase of the volunteer program, students attend daily classes with certified instructors and work at their own pace to improve their math and reading skills in order to increase their individual grade level. Those students who meet state eligibility requirements are provided the opportunity to test for their high school equivalency diploma.
A fight that broke out at during school at Minden High Friday likely led to the gunshot scare during the scrimmage that night, according to Minden Police Chief Steve Cropper.
“One male juvenile that was involved (in the fight) is on the football team,” Cropper said. “He was detained and brought to the PD because he was involved.”
Cropper said once School Resource Officer Lt. Tokia Whiting-Harrison viewed video of the fight, it was determined the young man was “totally blindsided.”
“He wasn’t even involved and then someone came up and hit him from behind,” the chief said. “Once we realized he was just defending himself, he was released. He was not arrested.”
The chief said Officer Whiting-Harrison called immediately for back-up when the fight began, and all of his available officers were on the scene to help. No weapons were involved.
Thanks to a state-of-the-art camera system at the school, the other juveniles – around 8 – in the fight were identified and arrested, said the chief.
“I’m not sure how this translated to what happened Friday night, but it’s my understanding a lot of kids were saying he was let go because he played on the football team, and he was getting preferential treatment,” Cropper said. “But that had nothing to do with it. He was released because he wasn’t an initiator. He was defending himself.”
The issue was heightened when some students learned the young man would be allowed to participate in the scrimmage Friday.
“The same people who were upset about the fact that he was not arrested got really agitated because he was going to be allowed to play ball Friday night,” Cropper said. “That’s how it spilled over to the football game.”
Rumors were of shots fired at the game, however, that was never corroborated. The scrimmage between Minden and Benton was suspended.
Posts on social media from the weekend and Monday exacerbated the issue, and Cropper and several officers were on-hand at the school Monday morning when the first bell rang.
“Some of them (posts) were saying because some of those kids were going to be back in school today, they were going to shoot up the outside of the school,” he said. “There were no issues at all. But, as I understand it, a lot of these issues of anger are directed toward the young man because he was not arrested. His family had read the same posts and kept him home from school today.”
Cropper said the others who were arrested were released to their parents.
“We have no place to put juveniles,” he added. “I don’t know what the answer is.”
MHS principal Becky Wilson, in a message to parents, said that while the school cannot violate the privacies of students, she wants parents to know that action has been taken and “your children’s safety is our number one priority.”
“We want to partner with you to give our students the best high school experience they can have,” the message concluded. “We are One Team, One Family, One Tide.”
A very wet period will continue across the Four State Region through at least the middle of the week, according to the National Weather Service. Considerable rainfall totals are expected, potentially resulting in flooding of area waterways and roads if significant rainfall rates persist.
Webster Parish Homeland Security Director Brian Williams said they are monitoring the weather service’s site.
“Currently, there should be just a rain event with between 5 and 6 inches over the next several days,” Williams said. “We will put out any information as needed.”
Williams said with gates already open on Lake Bistineau, he doesn’t expect any flooding issues there.
A spokesperson for Webster Parish Police Jury said the parish public works barns in Sibley and Sarepta will be open from 7:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday for self-serve sandbags.
Minden’s interim Mayor Tommy Davis said sandbags are available at 1400 Talton St. from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. Davis said there is a 10 bag limit per household with proof of residency inside Minden City limits.
“If needed, we will adjust the times to have someone stay longer,” the mayor said. “If we start getting more rain, we will do what we need to do to help the citizens.”
Davis said in 2016, while he was Minden Mayor, there was a flood.
“I don’t want to have another one,” he said. “We’re going to do everything we can to keep it from happening again.”
A lot took place in Minden on Friday, including altercations at Minden High School which resulted in multiple arrests, a bullying incident on a school bus, reports of juveniles with guns and a gun threat in the stands of the Minden High versus Benton High scrimmage. Following this unfortunate series of events, a group of community supporters took it upon themselves to meet in front of Minden High School on Sunday afternoon to pray.
Local business owner, Jodie Waller-Martin organized this gathering.
“We’ve got kids that were introduced on Friday night to a level of fear that they have never been introduced to before and that’s so sad,” Martin said. “School is supposed to be a safe place. Many of my dear friends are teachers and I want them safe at all levels. So, what we are going to do is, we are going to come together and pray.”
This group consisted of students, parents, teachers, community leaders and church leaders. Even though they ranged in age, race, denomination and background, they agreed on the first step to solving these issues. That first step was to pray for peace over the school. Dozens did just that, praying aloud as they walked the front lawn.
They lifted up the Minden High students, parents, staff, members of the Webster Parish School Board, the superintendent, Minden Police Department and Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office as they navigate the weeks to come in search of answers and resolutions.
The next prayer meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, September 9 at the school – an hour before Minden High School’s season opener against Homer.
The annual Lakeside Fantasy Football draft was held Sunday at Buffalo Wild Wings in Bossier. It’s a tradition we’ve adopted, and it’s one I look forward to with giddy anticipation like a kid for Christmas morning. I love the event, the strategy, the wings, the bonding. It’s a small joy, and sometimes those are the best. It’s also the final sign that we’re almost to that special time of year.
With the arrival of Fall, there comes a promise. A covenant. Fall is for football. And as a nation, nothing unites us like the Gridiron Gladiators fighting for yards and touchdowns up and down those green fields of glory. The players have different roots. Some are poor, some are not. Some are white. Some are black. Some are from the piney woods and others the big sky country. Some are from the concrete jungles. And we too, the fans, are not the same.
While we fight over the things we understand least, football brings us together like no other force in America. Not movies, not books, certainly not politics, and no other sports. It’s football. We love the game. We rally around the team. Success and interest help our communities improve. School scores increase. Friendships are forged. All based on mutual love for a team.
As humans we have an innate desire to be accepted. We want to be part of something bigger than us. In some ways, we want to be part of something larger than life. We find that in football, as we become a part of something greater than our own lives. Each of us have our own stories filled with individual ups and downs. The beauty of football is that despite having different individual stories, millions of us will find something in our own stories which collides with other stories to create one big American tale. Football becomes a language. It enables us to express ourselves physically, emotionally, and intellectually. It urges connection and communication with others, and does not discriminate based on race, age, religion, culture, or gender.
In a society of lost souls and young people lacking direction, committing crimes, and leaving their mothers in tears, football is a rallying cry, a clarion call for hope, unity, peace, prosperity. It represents the American Dream in terms easily understandable to all.
So it’s nearly football season, and even though I’m a soccer fan and would love to see Manchester United knock Liverpool off their perch, I think I’d rather see my buddies Greg Parks and Logan Cammack finally see their Cowboys lift the Lombardi Trophy once more.
(Josh Beavers is a teacher and a writer. He has been recognized five times for excellence in opinion writing by the Louisiana Press Association.)
The Apaches traveled to Southwood Friday night for a preseason scrimmage. Glenbrook, Southwood, and North Caddo were each granted a certain number of plays to allow for maximum experience amongst each other. Apache Football Head Coach, David Feaster, expressed after the scrimmages that the Apaches would return to Glenbrook School on Monday to specifically focus on conditioning because, “Conditioning is a huge deal the first week of the season…because [the team] will be playing so much harder than they’ve ever played in practice.”
In part one of the scrimmage series, Glenbrook showcased their offense against North Caddo, resulting in two Apache touchdowns. The first touchdown was scored by DJ Carter after Landry Powell and Carter made long drives on Ty Feaster’s passes. The second touchdown was scored as a result of a long pass from Feaster to Maddox Mandino. Coach Feaster later complemented the Apaches’ ability to control the ball when he expressed, “Offensively we did a lot of things well.”
Later in the night, Glenbrook faced North Caddo again, except Glenbrook was playing defense. Powell, Tre Kent, and Hayden Harmon each made clean tackles towards North Caddo’s offense. Following the tackles, Harmon picked off a pass made by North Caddo, which Coach Feaster declared “was huge for us.”
The Apaches faced Southwood while committing to a strong defense. Jonathan Bryant and Harmon succeeded in making big stops as Southwood attempted to make drives up the middle. Southwood managed to score one touchdown against the Apaches during the first Apache, Cowboy faceoff. Coach Feaster was quick to name Harmon as one of the standouts of the night, along with Carter, Sentell, Mandino, and Powell, stating that “the difference between our offense this year and last year is one guy – Landry Powell, because he stepped up to take former Apache Football player, Cale Hollis’s position.”
Wrapping up the three-way scrimmage, the Apaches played their offense against Southwood’s defense. Feaster connected with Chase Sentell and Powell, giving the Apaches a strong start. After the scrimmage, Coach Feaster pointed out Sentell’s strong performance of the night. In a strategic offensive play, Kent made a great run dodging multiple defenders, but was stopped just short of the end-zone. The Apaches concluded the night by a long scoring run by Maddox Mandino. Coach Feaster felt the Apache Offense was successful because as a team, they aim to have as many receivers as possible intercept the ball to switch the circumstances of the game, and on Friday night, that goal was achieved.
Coach Feaster concluded that, “Tonight, we got everything that we wanted – we had good weather, the boys did well, and no one got hurt.” The Apaches played very well on Friday night, and are looking forward to the upcoming season. The next Apache Football game will take place on Friday, August 26 when the Apaches will take on the football teams of Rosepine and Ferriday High Schools in a preseason jamboree at Holy Savior Menard Central High School.
Fresh strawberry scones are good for breakfast, snacks with coffee or anytime.
Scones
2 cups flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pats
12 strawberries, diced
3/4 cup half and half
Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add butter and crumble with your hands or a pastry blender. Toss in strawberries and coat with mixture.
Add half and half and fold together gently until mixture comes together and forms a soft ball. Do not over mix. Turn out onto floured surface. Pat into a 1” thick circle. Use a sharp carving knife to cut into 8 triangles. Place on parchment paper.
Bake 16-18 minutes. Remove scones to cooling rack. Whisk ingredients for glaze and after they have cooled for 10 minutes, pour glaze over.
*Original recipe from Bellyfull.net and pictures by Nicole Davidge with Southern Shutter Photography.
