JOB VACANCIES: Head Football Coach
SCHOOL: Lakeview High School
QUALIFICATIONS: Louisiana Teaching Certificate
SALARY: According to the parish school salary schedule
DEADLINE: Tuesday, December 20, 2022; 4:00 p.m.
WHERE TO APPLY: Linda G. Page, Personnel Director
Natchitoches Parish School Board
P. O. Box 16
Natchitoches, LA 71458-0016
Phone: (318) 352-2358
Fax: (318) 352-8138
APPLICATION WEBSITE: www.npsb.la
EOE
Nov. 19
9 a.m. Poker Run Registration. See http://www.dorcheatmuseum.com for info or call 318-377-3002.
Nov. 22
9 a.m. until noon. Webster Parish Head Start/Early Head Start Program is hosting a Job Fair at Mother Gooseland Head Start Center, 618 Weston St., Minden, La.
Nov. 26
9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Mistletoe Market in Springhill’s CAC Building hosted by Springhill Chamber of Commerce. Kick off the Christmas Shopping season with craft vendors and boutiques. Admission free. Visit with the Shreveport Santa (10-2) sponsored by Carter Credit Union.
5 p.m. Springhill Christmas Parade hosted by the Chamber of Commerce. Springhill Main Street.
Current-Nov. 30
Motorcycle exhibit at Dorcheat Historical Association Museum, 116 Pearl St., Minden. Motorcycles courtesy of 3 State Harley Davidson.
Dec. 2 & 3
6 p.m. “From Humbug to Hallelujah,” A musical comedy that presents the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge – with a twist. Eastside Missionary Baptist Church, Minden, La. For information, call 318-286-1259 or 318-377-2528.
Dec. 3
10 a.m. until dark. Sarepta Christmas Festival will be held December 3 from 11 a.m. until dark. There will be live music, food and craft vendors, a 5K run, treasure hunt, pictures with Santa and more! A fireworks show will take place at dark. The Christmas Festival will be at the Sarepta Park and Community Building on Vine Street.
Dec. 6
6 until 7:30 p.m. Webster Parish Library. Meriwether Wealth and Planning will present a community education seminar “No, It’s a Scam!” Learn about the latest scams and schemes targeting Webster Parish residents. Presenters Jason Parker, Webster Parish Sheriff and Tracy L. Campbell, financial advisor for Meriwether W&P. No cost to attend but pre-registration is required. Seating limited to 35. RSVP 318-377-1803. Refreshments will be provided as well as important take-home information.
Danny Ray Wells
Sept. 24, 1956 – Nov. 13, 2022
Visitation: 10 until 10:45 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022 at Bailey Funeral Home, Springhill, La.
Funeral service: 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022 at Bailey Funeral Home, Springhill, La.
Burial: Bethany Cemetery, Marthaville, La.
Margie Maxine Bogan Smith
July 29, 1923 – Nov. 13, 2022
Visitation: 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022 at Vivian United Methodist Church, Vivian, La.
Funeral service: 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022 at Vivian United Methodist Church, Vivian, La.
Burial: Vivian Cemetery.
Virginia Haynes Duke
Dec. 25, 1924 – Nov. 17, 2022
Visitation: 2 until 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022 at Bailey Funeral Home, Springhill, La.
Funeral service: 3 p.m., following visitation.
Burial: Springhill Cemetery.
Shirley Elnora Nehls
Jan. 17, 1936 – Nov. 17, 2022
Visitation: noon until 2 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21, 2022 at Open Door Fellowship Church, Springhill, La.
Funeral service: 2 p.m., following visitation
Burial: Western Cemetery, Emerson, Ark., under the direction of Bailey Funeral Home, Springhill, La.
Webster Parish Journal publishes paid complete 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.)
By Bonnie Culverhouse
A group of Minden City officials and zoning commission members have been listed as respondents in a complaint filed with the federal Housing & Urban Development agency which, if found justifiable, could land the issue in federal court.
According to the complaint filed by Jeffrey S. Glover of MGM Developers and dated October 11, the City of Minden and others “…engaged in one or more discriminatory housing practices under the Fair Housing Act.”
Allegations cited in the complaint include “discriminatory terms, conditions, privileges or services and facilities, steering and using ordinances to discriminate in zoning and land use.” The complaint alleges violations occurred because of race.
Respondents listed in the complaint are deceased former mayor Terry Gardner, council members Michael Roy, Vincent (sic) Edwards, Pam Bloxom, Wayne Edwards, Tina (sic) Williams-Walker, The City of Minden, Zoning Administrator Brent Cooley and Zoning Chairman Sarah Haynes.
Glover’s proposed project on Germantown Road property failed multiple times at Minden Planning Commission hearings and Minden City Council meetings.
Following a final appeal to the council on the MPC’s zoning ruling, Glover said, “The Department of Housing and Urban development will be investigating. It’s just a matter of time. The Feds will come to town.”
MGM’s development would have been called Retirement Villas of Minden, a 50-unit R-5 multi-family residential construction and gated retirement community.
Other parties listed as aggrieved in the complaint include Carl Gresham, Coalition for Safe and Affordable Housing; Catherine Hunt and Ronald Veitch, owner of the Germantown Road property.
For more on the complaint and reaction from those named, see future editions of your Webster Parish Journal.
Another short trip to the voting booth in a couple of city council districts is all that’s necessary to put the finishing faces to a new Minden administration for the next four years. Runoffs in December will pit Dist. A incumbent Wayne Edwards against Carlton Myles while Vincen “Cheese” Bradford hopes to defend the Dist. C seat he holds against Latasha Mitchell who wants to take it.
Already in hot seats are Mayor Nick Cox, Chief of Police Jared McIver and council persons Levon Thomas (B), Michael Roy (D) and Andy Pendergrass (E). It will be a first-time service adventure for Thomas and Pendergrass who we hope will list among their priorities the repair of, shall we say, a somewhat nicked image of local government.
While those three await the swearings-in (hopefully not followed by the swearing-at), the two chair residents facing opponents should be looking carefully at the numbers. Both Edwards and Bradford, who pulled 47 and 46 percent respectively in the first run, might be forgiven for wondering what those remaining percentages mean.
A long-time Rocker buddy who loves to dabble, says incumbents who draw less than 50 percent should be on the lookout for a potential skinnin’. It’s all in how you look at the numbers. In the case of these two incumbents, the numbers say 53 percent didn’t prefer Mr. Edwards; 54 percent said they would like someone other than Mr. Bradford.
In Edwards’ district, there’s only 12 percent of the first-time voter pool from which he needs to draw. But that figure could increase as voter interest in the next go ’round wanes as it most likely will. His district turned out only in the mid-40 percentages and that doesn’t bode well for a next time. His problem: How hard should he chase that missing percentage while still appealing to those who gave their vote initially.
It’s the same for Bradford, but in a larger perspective. In C, 29 percent of those who cast ballots voted for someone other than their current councilor. While Edwards had a pair of challengers, Bradford found himself facing off against three. And, as mentioned, those challengers received a comfortable majority. Next time you’ll find out if that 54 percent Bradford didn’t get was because he isn’t considered the candidate of choice.
If what we hear coming from inside both districts is an indication, the runoff winners could very well be decided from a pulpit.
While those two districts wait to be resolved, we hope the new office holders and Mr. Roy are taking a deep look inside what it’s going to take to get Minden moving. Yeah, there were some catchy slogans and some buzzy, fuzzy feel-good catch phrases during candidate gatherings, but those are past tense. Riding the bull, governmentally speaking, doesn’t stop when the eight-second horn sounds. And, as many have learned, the governmental bull will gore.
Much of the campaign conversation centered on unity. For those who are going to be leading us over the next four years, there needs to be a clear understanding that coming together requires everyone in the city and not just a chosen few. In the words of a wise one, the masses can be led by many but seldom pushed by few.
We understand office holders will seek advice, but there should be a healthy dose of consideration given to who those advisors are. One of our best buddies has been there, done that on just about every level of politics one can imagine. Just before this 2022 election cycle, where the ballyhooed Red Wave became a bloody trickle, he handed out some wisdom.
He says we shouldn’t think the right people are the ones with the most social media followers, the right standing among the social elite, the most university degrees or the healthiest financial statements. And, we might add, the right people shouldn’t be those who whisper only sweet words into the advisee’s ear. My ol’ daddy would tell us, if they only tell you what you want to hear you need to quit listening.
We expect from our public officials the best efforts they can give. That’s not much to ask. We don’t expect the commoners to be ignored and we don’t want those in power to consider themselves powerful. We’re looking for public servants, and we’ll know them when we see their work.
We want our elected officials to be interested in the interests of everyone, and not special consideration given to special interests. As we said previously, time and actions will separate those who make promises from those who keep them.
Pat Culverhouse
Q: “How concerned should I be about ‘catching something’ from an attacker?”
A: “Very. Just know that it’s better to live with a disease than to die in a fight.”
The focus of today’s article is not on sexually transmitted diseases. However, it should be noted that if you are the victim of a sexual assault or rape, medical screenings for STDs should be high on the priority list of things to do following such an attack.
If you find yourself in a fight for your life – be it a fist fight, knife fight, or a gun fight – it’s not just possible that you end up with the attacker’s DNA on you, it’s highly likely. Most violent encounters, even with guns, occur at “bad breath distance.” When a bad guy wants to take something from you – your money, your car, your watch, or something far more personal – they must get close to you, which increases the potential for disease transmission.
Bad guys tend to live high-risk lifestyles. Drug abuse, sexual promiscuity, unsanitary living conditions, and flagrant disregard for personal health and hygiene are commonplace among criminals. Criminals also spend a lot of time in jail – a close quarters living arrangement with others who live similar lifestyles, and a breeding ground for yuck. These life choices produce a higher-than-normal risk of contracting disease, whether it be the flu or something Ajax won’t take off.
Cross contamination with bloodborne pathogens is the biggest concern when discussing communicable disease in a self-defense scenario. Other things are certainly possible, but hepatitis, HIV, “FBA” (Full Blown Aids), as I’ve heard it referred to in the scientific medical community, and tuberculosis, rank among the top of the list concerning disease contraction. What some people might not realize is the importance of medical screenings following a self-defense scenario. Frankly, with all the hoopla going on at the scene and in the hours immediately following a violent encounter, medical tests will likely be the furthest thing from your mind, but those screenings should be a part of your plan of action, later down the road.
Screening for some diseases is not as easy as going to the hospital, donating a vial of blood, and getting a lab report back within an hour. These things don’t just appear in your system over night. Testing for certain diseases involves multiple tests over a period of months, maybe even a year or more, to determine the presence of a virus, or the lack thereof.
Even if the attacker doesn’t noticeably bleed on you, which is a big IF, it’s possible that they still transmit disease. Human saliva and mucus are not, by themselves, bloodborne pathogen carriers. However, if there’s blood mixed into saliva or mucus by way of an injury, an ulcer or other reason, those fluids become a vehicle in which blood droplets can hitch a ride. Spit and sputum are disgusting. When you add the possibility of blood hanging out with them, they can be just as dangerous as an open wound. Imagine you pepper spray an attacker. Now he has long strings of relatively harmless snot hanging from his nostrils to his belt buckle. Now imagine you punch him in the nose. That relatively harmless snot just became a biohazard whip.
If you thought that was nasty, just wait. These are things people don’t like to think about because bodily fluids are gross, but the reality is that they exist, and you will physically encounter them in a fight. If you punch, stab, bludgeon, or shoot someone, they will bleed. Depending on how and where you inflict the trauma, in addition to blood, you might also find yourself in direct contact with bone fragments and / or brain matter. What’s far worse than getting those things on you is, getting them in you.
Blood, bone fragments, and brain matter on your skin can usually be cleaned off with no negative physiological effects or disease transmission occurring. However, getting those things into your eyes, mouth, or into an open wound can be medically devastating.
I say all this not to be gruesome or to prevent you from defending innocent life, but to emphasize the importance of medical screenings being a part of your self-defense plan. Does hepatitis suck? Yep. It sure does. Would I rather live with hepatitis than die in a fight because I was afraid of what disease I might catch from the bad guy? Most definitely.
Nobody wants a disease, but death is even less desirable. We, and anyone dependent on us for protection, only get one life and it’s our responsibility to protect that gift. We can’t depend on anyone else to come to our rescue during a violent encounter, and the responsibility of our wellbeing after the fact falls solely on us as well. That’s why knowing what to expect and having a plan of action before you need one is so crucial. We can’t always avoid bad things, but medical considerations are just another reason to always… you guessed it – Avoid what you can. Defeat what you can’t.
Thanks for reading.
-Ryan
Please submit your questions to Ryan via email at Ryan@9and1tactical.com
Ryan Barnette is not a licensed attorney or a medical provider, and no information provided in “Slicing the Pie,” or any other publication authored by Ryan Barnette should be construed, in any way, as official legal, or medical advice.
By Jessica Gorman
The following is based on information provided by Grace Turner Watson.
The first mill of the Turner Brothers Sawmill was located on Lewisville Road near Boy Scout Road. It was owned by John K. (Bud) and Phares Turner. They purchased equipment from Mr. K. W. Henderson, founder of KWKH radio station, and produced rough lumber that was then sold to the Minden Mill of the Bodcau Lumber Company. When the Homer oil field opened up, they were able to sell rough lumber to the oil companies to build derricks. This enabled them to pay off their debt to Mr. Henderson.
June H. Turner joined his brothers in the lumber company in 1919. This was likely around the time that the mill was moved to Dorcheat Road to be near the railroad. The new will included a planer which allowed for the production of finished lumber. With the loss of the Minden Lumber Company, Turner Brothers began shipping this finished lumber north to places like Chicago. This mill burned and was rebuilt several times.
In the early 1930s, the mill moved to town. They were losing money shipping lumber to Chicago and the local demand for lumber had increased in the wake of the tornado of 1933. It was decided that the mill no longer had need of being located near the railroad. Moving to town also provided insurance and the assistance of the Minden Fire Department in the event of a fire. Despite the objections of area residents, the new mill was located on the old Ben Boepple in the area between North Elm, Lewisville Road, Emerald Drive, and Davis Street. This mill operated until the early 1940s.
At some point, brothers Bobby and Sidney had also joined the business and it became the Turner Brothers Lumber Company. At the time the sawmill ceased operation, Minden was growing and Bobby Turner decided to seize the opportunity and build a subdivision around the mill pond. That mill pond, once known as Ben Boepple’s pasture pond, then the Mill Pond, and almost named Lake Beautiful by Bobby Turner, is today known as Turner’s Pond.
Out of the property once owned by Turner Brothers Lumber Company, land was deeded to the Forestry Department, KASO radio station, Lakeview Methodist Church, and to the Webster Parish School Board for the site of E.S. Richardson Elementary.
Pictured is the Long Springs Mill (Dorcheat Road location) of Turner Brothers Lumber Company
This column is intended to share snippets of Webster Parish history. Please direct any questions or suggestions to dorcheatmuseum@yahoo.com or visit us at the museum.
(Jessica Gorman is the Assistant Director and Archivist for the Dorcheat Historical Association Museum in Minden and is an avid genealogist.)
Webster Parish Libraries – Springhill branch has partnered up with North Pole appointed Head Elf, Belinda Budwah to bring a little magic to the residents of North Webster Parish.
The Springhill North Pole Express Mailbox will be located at 105 North Arkansas Street, right across the street from Central Baptist Church. Children can drop off letters to Santa November 25 – December 21.
The Springhill Library branch will have Santa letters printed out that can be picked up starting November 21.
There is no denying that we have had some pretty chilly weather this week, but despite the cold we must continue with our daily lives, which for my family now includes going to church on Sunday. I am not going to lie and say that this is something we have practiced religiously every Sunday because that is just not true.
Before I had three children, I used to attend church every Wednesday evening and Sunday morning. It was undeniably easier when I just had to worry about getting myself up and ready. Despite the chaos of getting the four of us ready in the mornings and the longing to just stay in bed a couple of extra hours (especially when it is cold outside like it has been), it is even more important now than ever.
See, I now have these three little souls that I am responsible for. I am responsible for getting them out of the bed and making sure they have the opportunity like I had when I was their age to learn about God and develop a personal relationship with Him. I am accountable for that.
Last week I touched on how grateful I was that God chose me to be their mother, but in doing so He also entrusted me with this special responsibility. He gave them to me as a blessing, but that blessing also comes with a heavy responsibility that goes beyond their physical and emotional needs. It goes beyond making sure they are fed, clothed, sheltered and happy. This responsibility also includes their spiritual needs, as well.
This past Sunday, Emerson, Ashton and I attended church and for the first time I was able to witness Emerson really participate in the service. She followed along with the scripture, she stood, kneeled and sang her little heart out. Following the service, she asked questions, some of which I did not know the answers to but would happily find out for her (and myself).
All of this made me immensely overjoyed as a mother, but it was what she said after her lengthy list of questions that really filled my cup.
She said, “Mom, I am freezing on the outside, but I feel really warm on the inside.”
My friends, that is what you call the warmth of God’s love.
No cozy fire, fuzzy blanket, or hot shower can fill you up and warm you from the inside out like God’s love can.
Ephesians 3:17-19 says, “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide, long, high, and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
No matter how crazy or hard life gets, no matter how many Sundays of church you may have missed, no matter how far you have strayed, He is always there ready for you to receive His warm embrace with arms wide open. It will be given generously and freely not only during these cold, winter days ahead, but all 365 days of the year.
So, I encourage you today to find some time to bask in the warmth of God’s love.
(Paige Nash is a mom and digital journalist for The Webster Parish Journal.)
LDWF reminds hunters that they can tag and validate their deer or turkey harvest directly from their smartphone (via text or website) immediately after the animal is harvested.
Log into your account at LouisianaOutdoors.com and select E-tag/Text-to-Tag to enroll. Then follow the steps below to tag and validate your harvest via your smartphone.
As long as you complete the electronic tag before moving the animal, you do not have to attach a physical tag. You must have a physical copy or picture of your harvest tags on your smartphone to use this feature.
To see step-by-step instructions and detailed instructional videos on how to properly tag and validate electronically, visit https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/electronic-tags
If there is no cellular signal, hunters can still use traditional paper tags and validate them via phone (225-267-9998) or online within 72 hours of harvest. If you’re using paper tags, we recommend using snack-size zip-top bags and zip ties to secure the paper tag onto the animal or attaching the paper tag to the animal and then cover the tag in packing tape.
For hunters using paper tags, LDWF has a new harvest reporting phone number (above). The 844 number is no longer in service.
By Shakera Williams, MPH, Assistant Extension Nutrition Agent Webster/ Claiborne parishes
As the Thanksgiving holiday is approaching, a crucial step in the preparation process is thawing your turkey safely. Turkeys are safe indefinitely while frozen, however, as soon as it begins to thaw and becomes warmer than 40 °F, any bacteria that may have been present before freezing can begin to multiply. Only use the three recommended methods below to unthaw your turkey. These methods can also be used for thawing hams or other meats as well. Never thaw foods in a garage, basement, car, dishwasher, or plastic garbage bag; out on the kitchen counter, in hot water, outdoors, or on the porch as these are all unsafe methods that are not recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture.
The first method is to use the refrigerator. Place your turkey as originally wrapped on a shelf with a pan underneath it to catch any leaking juices. Allow approximately 24 hours for each four to five pounds of turkey to thaw. After thawing, it is safe to store the turkey for up to two more days. Here are more specific time frames for thawing turkeys in the refrigerator.
4 to 12 pounds will take 1 to 3 days to unthaw
12 to 16 pounds will take 3 to 4 days to unthaw
16 to 20 pounds will take 4 to 5 days to unthaw
20 to 24 pounds will take 5 to 6 days to unthaw
The second method is to use the microwave. When using this method, be sure to follow the microwave oven manufacturer’s instructions when defrosting a turkey. Plan to cook the turkey immediately after thawing because some areas of the turkey may become warm and begin to cook during microwaving.
The third method is to use cold water. When using this method, submerge the turkey in its original packaging in cold tap water and change the water every 30 minutes. This will ensure the temperature of the water does not go into the danger zone. The danger zone is defined as food that reaches an internal temperature between 41°-135° F. Changing the cold water every 30 minutes prevents the turkey from being in the danger zone producing bacteria growth. Allow about 30 minutes per pound of turkey to defrost. Cook immediately after thawing. Below are some specific thawing times for cold water usage.
4 to 12 pounds will take 2 to 6 hours to unthaw
12 to 16 pounds will take 6 to 8 hours to unthaw
16 to 20 pounds will take 8 to 10 hours to unthaw
20 to 24 pounds will take 10 to 12 hours to unthaw
If you have any additional questions please contact,
Shakera Williams, MPH Assistant Extension Nutrition Agent Webster/ Claiborne Parishes at 318 371-1371 or by email sswilliams@agcenter.lsu.edu
You can also contact the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) to talk to a food safety expert or chat live at ask.usda.gov from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. If you need help on Thanksgiving Day, the Meat and Poultry Hotline is available from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. EST.
The following arrests were made by local law enforcement agencies. Minden Police Department (MPD), Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office (WPSO), Louisiana State Police (LSP) and others which are named.
Nov. 15
Wayne Edward Davis, 36, of Bossier City, La., was arrested by WPSO on warrants for driving under suspension and failure to dim lights.
Stacey Michael Theodes, 33,of the 100 block of Amos Cut-Off Rd., Doyline, was arrested by WPSO on a warrant for remaining after being forbidden.
Kimberly D. Rushing, 39, of Cotton Valley, was arrested by Sarepta Police for possession of Klonopin.
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 following civil suits were filed with the Webster Parish Clerk of Court the week of November 10:
Nov. 10
BOM Bank vs. Grace Tabernacle Inc. and Rickenski Cosby, monies due.
PNC Bank National Association vs. estate of Celeste Alain Alexander, executory process
Nov. 14
Ray “Buck” New vs. State of Louisiana, forfeiture
Caroline King vs. John King, divorce
Jessica Robinson vs. Clint Bartlett, protective order
Nov. 15
Portfolio Recovery Associates LLC vs. Stephanie Garrett, monies due
Willie Lynd III vs. Willie Lynd IV and Laura Ann Lynd, contract
Lacy Paul vs. Michael Lance Milligan, custody
State Farm Fire and Casualty vs. Hector M. Sanches and USAA Casualty Insurance, damages
Richard Glynn Howard vs. Kelsey Coe Howard, divorce w/children
b1 Bank vs. Batavia S. Morris, executory process
Nov. 16
Christopher Lee Duckworth vs. Samantha Brown Duckworth, divorce
B1 Bank vs. Deborah Ann Hadnot Cooksey, executory process
Nov. 17
Training in four-hour increments for Minden Medical Center’s implementation of a comprehensive and compassionate bereavement education course and program. Rachel’s Gift provides resources to assist hospital staff caring for families experiencing the loss of an infant due to miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death. This collaboration allows staff to have access to various resources and tangible items to gently guide patients and families through their time of crisis. Families served also receive supportive follow up care, support group access, and connections with local, regional, and national resources.
Nov. 19
9 a.m. Poker Run Registration. See www.dorcheatmuseum.com for info or call 318-377-3002.
Nov. 22
9 a.m. until noon. Webster Parish Head Start/Early Head Start Program is hosting a Job Fair at Mother Gooseland Head Start Center, 618 Weston St., Minden, La.
Nov. 26
9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Mistletoe Market in Springhill’s CAC Building hosted by Springhill Chamber of Commerce. Kick off the Christmas Shopping season with craft vendors and boutiques. Admission free. Visit with the Shreveport Santa (10-2) sponsored by Carter Credit Union.
5 p.m. Springhill Christmas Parade hosted by the Chamber of Commerce. Springhill Main Street.
Current-Nov. 30
Motorcycle exhibit at Dorcheat Historical Association Museum, 116 Pearl St., Minden. Motorcycles courtesy of 3 State Harley Davidson.
Dec. 2 & 3
6 p.m. “From Humbug to Hallelujah,” A musical comedy that presents the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge – with a twist. Eastside Missionary Baptist Church, Minden, La. For information, call 318-286-1259 or 318-377-2528.
Dec. 3
10 a.m. until dark. Sarepta Christmas Festival will be held December 3 from 11 a.m. until dark. There will be live music, food and craft vendors, a 5K run, treasure hunt, pictures with Santa and more! A fireworks show will take place at dark. The Christmas Festival will be at the Sarepta Park and Community Building on Vine Street.
Dec. 6
6 until 7:30 p.m. Webster Parish Library. Meriwether Wealth and Planning will present a community education seminar “No, It’s a Scam!” Learn about the latest scams and schemes targeting Webster Parish residents. Presenters Jason Parker, Webster Parish Sheriff and Tracy L. Campbell, financial advisor for Meriwether W&P. No cost to attend but pre-registration is required. Seating limited to 35. RSVP 318-377-1803. Refreshments will be provided as well as important take-home information.
Marie Stone-Richmond
Jan. 18, 1937 – Nov. 11, 2022
Visitation: 5 until 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18, 2022 at Rose-Neath Funeral Home Chapel, Minden, La.
Funeral service: 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022 at West Lake Baptist Church, Doyline, La.
Burial: West Lake Cemetery, Doyline, under the direction of Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Minden.
Danny Ray Wells
Sept. 24, 1956 – Nov. 13, 2022
Visitation: 10 until 10:45 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022 at Bailey Funeral Home, Springhill, La.
Funeral service: 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022 at Bailey Funeral Home, Springhill, La.
Burial: Bethany Cemetery, Marthaville, La.
David Clay Weeks
May 23, 1959 – Nov. 14, 2022
Graveside service: 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022, Taylor Memorial Cemetery, Taylor, Ark., under the direction of Bailey Funeral Home, Springhill, La.
Letha Carol Smith
Feb. 10, 1960 – Nov. 12, 2022
Visitation: 5 until 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022 at Bailey Funeral Home, Springhill, La.
Funeral service: 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18, 2022 at Bailey Funeral Home Chapel, Springhill.
Burial: Western Cemetery, Emerson, Ark., under the direction of Bailey Funeral Home.
Margie Maxine Bogan Smith
July 29, 1923 – Nov. 13, 2022
Visitation: 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022 at Vivian United Methodist Church, Vivian, La.
Funeral service: 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022 at Vivian United Methodist Church, Vivian, La.
Burial: Vivian Cemetery.
Jessie James Alexander
Feb. 28, 1946 – Nov. 12, 2022
Visitation: 6 until 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022 at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Vivian, La.
Graveside service: 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18, 2022 at Smyrna Cemetery, Smyrna, Texas.
Mary Williams Taylor
Jan. 20, 1941 – Nov. 10, 2022
Graveside service: noon Friday, Nov. 18, 2022, Chapelwood Memorial Gardens, Vivian, La.
Webster Parish Journal publishes paid complete 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.)
By Bonnie Culverhouse
A video highlighting retiring Minden Police Chief Steve Cropper’s law enforcement career played in the background Tuesday while persons from his working world, family, officials and close friends gathered at Orleans on Main to honor him.
What could have been a somber occasion took on a life of its own with laughter and tears as stories were swapped about Cropper and his reign as chief. Fellow officers gifted Cropper with an engraved firearm, a badge that read: Retired Chief,” and a plaque of appreciation, all in a shadow box.
The video ended in a fitting way with Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the Peacemakers … for they shall be called the children of God.”
Dear Editor
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is taking steps that could significantly decrease the quality of care for veterans by allowing optometrists, who are not medical doctors or trained surgeons, to perform laser eye surgery. This would put veterans’ eye health and safety at risk and could ultimately increase costs for the VA. Optometrists lack the medical education, surgical training, and clinical experience to perform surgery. Currently, the VA’s policy ensures that only ophthalmologists (medical eye surgeons) perform eye surgery on veterans. It should stay that way.
My grandfather was a World War II Navy veteran who required eye treatment at VA centers in Monroe and Shreveport. I saw firsthand how proper, high-quality eye care can increase a veteran’s quality of life. I’m grateful for the expert care that ophthalmologists provided to my grandfather.
My grandfather’s story is not unique. Eye care is one of the busiest clinical services in the VA system with more than 1.3 million unique eye care encounters in 2022. Surgical eye care is a critical part of serving those who served our nation; we cannot afford to take shortcuts.
On behalf of my grandfather and all our nation’s heroes, I urge Senator Cassidy through his role on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee to protect our veterans and tell the VA to maintain its long-standing policy that only ophthalmologists provide laser eye surgery to those who served.
DK Willard
By: Jake Chapman
For the past thirteen years, I’ve followed the Crimson Tide football team every week of the season. From the dregs of August to the occasional Quarterfinal playoff appearance post-Daylight Savings Time in November, I have provided the color commentary on the KBEF/KASO radio broadcast with my cohort, Mark Chreene, who has been THE voice of the Minden Crimson Tide for the past twenty-three years. When one follows any team as intimately as we do, one gets to KNOW each year’s team. However, as a new historian, I’m also guilty of donning John Conlee’s “Rose Colored Glasses” when it comes to holding too tightly to the past.
In this installment, you’ll see that the modern era players are just as woven into the fabric of Minden history. I’ll try not to sentence you to death by numbers, but that is probably what I’ll do. I’m a numbers guy.
Historically, Minden has been a run heavy team. So, we’ll start with the deepest player group: Running Backs.
I should mention that this group is out of approximately 417 players that have toted the rock for Minden since 1914, although there is some newly discovered information that would suggest that Minden football goes back as far as 1909. So, that number very easily could swell to over 500.
Truthfully, Minden fans were spoiled by having two generational talents grace the gridiron within a ten-year span. Just five years before Sammy Seamster electrified “The Pit”, there was Raymond Tate. Tate’s performances seem to be etched a little deeper into history because he accomplished several “firsts” that hadn’t been done in decades. In 1979, Tate was the first Minden running back to rush for 1,000+ yards since 1964 (Stan Green). As a matter of fact, he was the first EVER to rush for 1,000+ yards in three seasons (1979-1981). Until then, the only Tider to rush for 1,000+ yards in multiple seasons was Bobby Ashley (1958-1959). Tate was the first since Ashley to rush for 200+ yards in a game, one of which set the record with 214 in 1979. Tate and company won the State Championship in the fall of 1980, which hadn’t been done since 1963, and fell just short in the Semi-Finals in 1981. Tate was a 1st Team All-State running back from 1979 to 1981. Tate was also selected to the 1981 Parade All-American Team, the only Minden player ever to receive this honor.
In 1986, Sammy Seamster had a gem of a junior campaign setting records left and right. He finished that season with 315 carries, 2,408 rushing yards and 28 rushing TDs, averaging 200.7 yards per game. These feats won’t soon be surpassed. That year he became the first North Louisiana player in the top two classifications (3A and 4A, back then) to rush for over 2,000 yards in a regular season. In one of his unprecedented six games with 200+ yards that year, he set the current high-water mark for single-game rushing yards (284) and tied, what was then, the school record for rushing TDs (5). Seamster is the only other rusher besides Tate to have 1,000+ rushing yards in three seasons. During Seamster’s stint, the Tide never made it farther than the Quarterfinals, but in 1985 and 1987, Seamster was an honorable mention All-State running back. In 1986, he earned 1st team All-State honors and was awarded the Louisiana Offensive Player of the Year.
It’s easy to see why Tate and Seamster are so prevalent in the collective minds of the Minden community. These two sit at the top of every statistical category in career, season, and single game rushing records. Enter the “new kid on the block”, Daylen Robinson. As it was mentioned a couple weeks ago, “Mr. Robinson” is firmly in third place in those major categories surpassing long-time Tate and Seamster shadow-dwellers Kenyon Cotton (1989-1991) and Tyrone Grider (1995-1997), who now ocellate between fourth and fifth in most career statistical categories.
Let’s mix in other modern era guys, shall we? Another Robinson you might not know is Lieric Robinson (2018-2019). Sure, his name may not stick out with all the other guys, but he is an all-time Top Ten dasher as well. Lieric tied the school record with five rushing touchdowns in week nine of 2019, and then, in the very next game, set the school record with six rushing touchdowns. There have been only five other Minden running backs with at least five rushing tallies in a game, but there is only ONE with six. That’s rare air, indeed.
One player that almost no one mentions in conversation is Antonio Rivette (2014-2016). Even though he played quarterback, Rivette is in the top five in carries and rushing TDs, and number eleven in career rushing yards. By the way, he’s a Top Five passer in all categories, too. Probably most startling is the fact that Rivette is THE RECORD HOLDER in Career Total Offensive Yards (6,721) AND Career Total TDs (85). That’s FIFTEEN more than Sammy Seamster’s total. Rivette also lead the 2016 team to the Quarterfinals. Is your heart warming towards the new guys yet?
There are a few other noteworthy running backs like Michael Carr (1998-2000), Kay Jones (2003-2005) and Brandon Walker (2004-2006) who have galloped their way into the record books amongst those mentioned above, but I am not able to unpack it all. Of course, Tate and Seamster reign supreme, but I’ve outlined several players that should be in the conversation as well. G.I. Joe used to say, “Knowing is half the battle,” and now that you know, you can begin to weave them all into the legacy of the Minden High Greats.
Next time, I’ll break down the Crimson Tide field marshals, the Quarterbacks.
By the way, if you’re interested in seeing the full account of all of Minden’s football records, stay tuned.
Veterans Day Friday reminded me of it, brought him and her and them to my mind and took me back to the late 1960s and being a little boy who knew something was going on but just didn’t know what.
Because Aunt Daisy was unsure how long it took a letter to get to Southeast Asia, she mailed one just about every other day, an endless stream of news from Carolina, from home.
And so, there were two things a 19-year-old Jimmy Bass, who’d always bought me milkshakes at the Dairy Maid, could count on in Vietnam: getting shot at by people he didn’t know, and getting letters from Aunt Daisy. She gave me carbon copies of most every one.
Dear Jimmy,
Why they decided you needed to be flying a helicopter I do not know, but your daddy tells me you’ve been doing good at it. That’s saying something as I know Newton Bass is hard to please. Before you were born, him and my Hank vowed they had to taste every bottle of whiskey in a store before they could decide which one they wanted to drink for the night. They thought for the longest time that me and your mother felt that was a good excuse. I never thought either of them would quit drinking, but they did, and if you don’t believe in miracles, you should after knowing that. Which is why I expect to see you walking up our driveway any day now.
Of course I don’t know exactly where you are over there, and even if I did I couldn’t pronounce the name of the town. While you’re over there, why not talk the locals on our side into naming places that make sense, like Sunrise or Rock City or Dillon. If I lived over there I couldn’t tell anybody my address because I wouldn’t know how to say it. They’re either too short on consonants and long on vowels or the other way around. Fix that, Jimmy? It’ll give you something to do and me something to take credit for.
Nothing much to report here. We’re still trying to get a preacher. We’ve had all the success of a boy mouse in a roomful of girl cats so far. Last week Farmer started talking in the middle of preaching, without meaning to. Him and the Scrap Iron Quartet sung a couple hymns, then about halfway through our substitute preacher’s talk, here Farmer went. I know it don’t surprise you to hear he was sleeping in church as that’s what he always does when he’s not singing. Don’t know what he does better, snore or sing. But by god he’s always there, ain’t he. So he’d plowed ’til church time as always, then about halfway through the sermon Farmer, deep in slumber and obviously dreaming, hollers out real loud like, “Whoa! Whoa!” None of us paid it much mind but it shook the visiting preacher up pretty good.
Maggie is getting prettier every day. I think she’s in her room writing you a letter right now. We talk about you all the time and hope you get our letters every week. If you can keep from wrecking that plane they’re idiot enough to let you fly, I might let you drive the Falcon again when you get home. Just got the oil changed.
Love,
Aunt Daisy
Even after his momma and Mr. Newt got word Jimmy was MIA, Aunt Daisy kept writing. In fact, she wrote more. She didn’t give up. Neither did Jimmy. So she was the least surprised person in town the day the knock came on her door, and standing there, milkshakes in both hands and a duffle bag on his shoulder, stood Jimmy, threadbare and scarred, but smiling. And home.
Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu
BARBERINO-TAVARNELLE, TUSCANY— Yesterday I was having a conversation with one of my travel guests who was talking about being homesick when she was sent to camp as an eight-year-old. I tried to remember a time, over the past 61 years, when I might have been homesick. I have a vague memory of visiting some cousins in the Washington D.C. area, when I was six or seven, and not wanting to spend the night there. It had nothing to do with them. They are wonderful people, it’s just that I was missing my mom and brother who were staying across town with my aunt and uncle.
I went to summer camp several years and don’t remember ever being homesick. I always looked at it as a new adventure. I’m sure my mother saw it as the chance to get a few weeks of peace and silence at home.
In 2011, when I was on a six-month trek across Europe with my wife and two kids, I was never homesick because the things that mattered to me most were with me.
These days I get businesssick, more accurately— restaurantsick. When I am gone from my homebase for any length of time I miss our restaurants. A few years ago, I started spending three months a year hosting tours through Europe. I love doing it— and judging by the amount of people who join me to travel repeatedly (I currently have a lady who is with me for her sixth trip)— my guests love it, too. I have no plans to stop doing it any time soon, but after six or seven weeks over here, I grow restaurantsick.
It’s not that I’m sick of restaurants, to the contrary. I am in restaurants three times a day while traveling. I love restaurants, whether they belong to me, or someone else. It’s that I begin to miss mine, deeply.
I have a lot of job titles, surely “dad” is the most important. But when we peel back all the layers, I am a restaurateur. I have no hobbies, at least in the typical sense. I don’t hunt, I don’t fish, I don’t play golf. I love movies, music, and football. But I’m not sure those are actual hobbies. I love to travel, but that gets handled by hosting tours a quarter of the year. My hobbies are restaurants, restaurants, and restaurants.
When I’m home I am either in one of my restaurants, in my restaurant office, at home working on restaurant stuff, researching things for the restaurants, or on my laptop developing new concepts for restaurants. My mom often asks, “When are you going to retire?”
The answer is always the same, “Never.” When she presses, I tell her, “Why would I retire? I love what I do. The restaurant business is my ‘fun.’ I am blessed that my hobby is also my career.” I hope to draw my last breath— in my sleep sleep— somewhere in my late nineties after a busy opening shift at a restaurant we’ve just opened. That would be a perfect world.
I left the United States back in early October. It was only two weeks after we opened our new Italian restaurant in Ridgeland, MS. The typical honeymoon period for a new restaurant is anywhere from two to three months. The way the scheduling worked out I was only able to spend 16 days in the newly opened restaurant before heading overseas for work. I hated to leave, but there were hard scheduling dates in Italy— and commitments— I needed to fulfill. It was my 24th restaurant opening and the first time I’ve not spent almost every shift in a restaurant for the first three months of its operation.
I have been handling business over here turning people on to the people, places, and restaurants I’ve discovered over the years. But the restaurants back home are always on my mind. I am down to the remaining five days and am lucky that this final week is with a Tuscany group I have traveled with before, we’re just doing all new things.
I look forward to adding new, authentic Italian items I’ve learned over here to the menus of our Italian restaurants. But there are other things I’ve been dreaming about lately.
I want to eat a stack of pancakes— as big as my face— at the Midtowner. I eat there every morning when I’m back in town. At Crescent City Grill it will be hard to decide between a roast beef po-boy or a fried shrimp po-boy and will probably order both. I miss the Tex-Mex Nachos and the Beef Chimichanga at El Rayo. I won’t be in town too long before I eat a cheeseburger, tots, and a chocolate malt at Ed’s Burger Joint.
Taste testing for the new bakery is just around the corner and during that process I am likely to put on the five pounds that I’ve lost over here.
My first stop on American soil is usually the Popeye’s Fried Chicken in the Atlanta airport— and I will surely do that— but I will eat a country fried steak with mashed potatoes, black-eyed peas, fried corn, green bean casserole, and fried okra at the Midtowner on one of my early lunches back home.
I’ll sit at my desk in my office and work on the next two concepts we have on the drawing board and catch up on where Extra Table is as we reach year’s end. Budgets for the restaurants will be due in a matter of weeks, but I’ll have to catch up on these food cravings before I can focus on any financial matters.
The past six weeks have been a deep dive into Italian history, architecture, and culture, and a very deep dive into the Italian cuisine of Rome, Amalfi, Naples, and Tuscany. That’s over 120 authentic Italian meals since early October. I’m ready to hit the ground running creating new Italian dishes for the restaurants. But I’m also ready for that stack of pancakes as big as my face.
Onward.
Pasta Roberto
I developed this for a friend’s birthday hosted at my home. It works well with large groups of all ages.
I brought it in as a potential menu item during the initial recipe-testing phase of Tabella. It didn’t have a name, but – as a joke— I listed the temporary, tongue-in-cheek title as “Pasta Roberto,” assuming that we would find a better name before we opened.
As we were getting the restaurant ready to open in the weeks before the launch, I cooked it often for the manager and staff lunches. They called it Pasta Roberto, too. We never came up with an official name and it still on the menu as Pasta Roberto.
1 lb. Dry fusilli pasta
1 gallon Water
¼ cup Kosher salt
2 TB Extra virgin olive oil
½ lb. Italian sausage links, roasted or grilled, quartered, and sliced
¼ cup Shallot, minced
½ lb. Porcini mushrooms, sliced (other mushrooms can be substituted)
½ cup Red bell peppers, cut into matchsticks
2 TB Dry white wine
¾ cup Parmigianino Reggiano, grated
¾ cup Marinara sauce
¾ cup Alfredo sauce
Cook fusilli according to the directions on the package.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the sausage, mushrooms and red bell peppers and cook, stirring frequently, about 6-8 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and allow the wine to cook out completely, about 2-3 minutes.
Fold in the marinara and Alfredo and stir until hot. Add the hot fusilli pasta and the cheese and combine thoroughly.
Divide among six serving bowls.
(Robert St. John is a chef, restaurateur and cookbook author who lives in Hattiesburg, Miss.)
By Bonnie Culverhouse
Webster Parish Sheriff’s deputies and Sarepta Police have arrested a north Webster Parish man for fighting with the mother of his child.
Kaleb Paul Beraud, 28, of the 700 block of Kay St., Springhill, has been charged with domestic abuse battery.
Sheriff Jason Parker said Sgt. Aaron Barnes was dispatched to a Shongaloo address Friday night in reference to a domestic dispute.
“Sgt. Barnes talked with the suspect – Beraud – who said he was in a verbal argument with his ‘baby’s momma,’” Parker said. “The victim told deputies Beraud was drinking and came over to her house. She would not let him in and a verbal altercation ensued.”
According to reports, Beraud tried to shove his way into the residence, but the victim blocked his entrance.
“He then allegedly struck her in the right side of her neck,” Parker said. “When the deputy saw her neck, he photographed it and arrested Beraud.”
He was 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 following arrests were made by local law enforcement agencies. Minden Police Department (MPD), Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office (WPSO), Louisiana State Police (LSP) and others which are named.
Nov. 10
Jonathan Ivory Cooksey, 40, of the 8100 block of Rebecca St., Minden, was arrested by MPD for introduction of a controlled dangerous substance into a penal institution, possession with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm with CDS and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Nov. 11
Ken’Tavious Layton, 25, no address, was arrested by Cullen Police on a warrant for simple burglary of vehicles.
Nov. 13
Stephen Whitfield, 46, of the 800 block of Coney Lake Rd., Minden, was arrested by Probation & Parole for a parole violation.
Teresa Godwin Stock, 50, of the 200 block of Virginia Ave., Minden, was arrested by MPD for theft by shoplifting.
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.
Nov. 16
8 a.m. Minden City Council Workshop in Pelican Room, Minden City Hall. Agenda: City Employee Handbook.
9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Webster Council on Aging is sponsoring another On-on-One Medicare meeting. Call for an appointment. 318-371-3056.
Nov. 16 & 17
Training in four-hour increments for Minden Medical Center’s implementation of a comprehensive and compassionate bereavement education course and program. Rachel’s Gift provides resources to assist hospital staff caring for families experiencing the loss of an infant due to miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death. This collaboration allows staff to have access to various resources and tangible items to gently guide patients and families through their time of crisis. Families served also receive supportive follow up care, support group access, and connections with local, regional, and national resources.
Nov. 19
9 a.m. Poker Run Registration. See http://www.dorcheatmuseum.com for info or call 318-377-3002.
Nov. 22
9 a.m. until noon. Webster Parish Head Start/Early Head Start Program is hosting a Job Fair at Mother Gooseland Head Start Center, 618 Weston St., Minden, La.
Nov. 26
9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Mistletoe Market in Springhill’s CAC Building hosted by Springhill Chamber of Commerce. Kick off the Christmas Shopping season with craft vendors and boutiques. Admission free. Visit with the Shreveport Santa (10-2) sponsored by Carter Credit Union.
5 p.m. Springhill Christmas Parade hosted by the Chamber of Commerce. Springhill Main Street.
Current-Nov. 30
Motorcycle exhibit at Dorcheat Historical Association Museum, 116 Pearl St., Minden. Motorcycles courtesy of 3 State Harley Davidson.
Dec. 2 & 3
6 p.m. “From Humbug to Hallelujah,” A musical comedy that presents the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge – with a twist. Eastside Missionary Baptist Church, Minden, La. For information, call 318-286-1259 or 318-377-2528.
Dec. 3
10 a.m. until dark. Sarepta Christmas Festival will be held December 3 from 11 a.m. until dark. There will be live music, food and craft vendors, a 5K run, treasure hunt, pictures with Santa and more! A fireworks show will take place at dark. The Christmas Festival will be at the Sarepta Park and Community Building on Vine Street.
Dec. 6
6 until 7:30 p.m. Webster Parish Library. Meriwether Wealth and Planning will present a community education seminar “No, It’s a Scam!” Learn about the latest scams and schemes targeting Webster Parish residents. Presenters Jason Parker, Webster Parish Sheriff and Tracy L. Campbell, financial advisor for Meriwether W&P. No cost to attend but pre-registration is required. Seating limited to 35. RSVP 318-377-1803. Refreshments will be provided as well as important take-home information.