Good thing I’m elderly because it is evident as of two weekends ago when I went to my first ever T-Ball tournament that I could not afford to have a child today.
Not an athletic one, anyway.
This was the Dixie Baseball Regional Tournament (I think) at Tinsley Park in Bossier. For T-Ball. An All-Star Tournament. We now have all-star tournaments for 6- and 7-year-olds even though the ball is hit off a tee and there are no pitchers. This has been going on a good while; I’d just never seen it.
I knew the doings were big when I parked and could not hear any baseball things. That’s how far away the parks were and everyone had gotten there a lot earlier than I had. I like to walk, so no complaint there; just trying to convey how many people were parked here on this Saturday evening. It was like the cast party for Gone With The Wind.
The first sign of trouble was a nice lady walking toward me. She handed me a wrist band. “Here, I’ll save you 10 bucks,” she said and handed me the band. “I was in there five minutes.”
Mister Teddy did not know it cost money to watch T-Ball.
And now I have an idea how much money it costs to play T-Ball, or at least be the guardian of a person who plays T-Ball.
It’s a lot.
Jerseys. Colors. Full uniforms with “Saline” or “Ruston” or “Bossier” across the front. Dozens of teams. “Olla” and … is there a team from “Greater Olla” here? Seems everyone else in Louisiana is.
The winners are traveling to the Dixie World Series in Center, Texas this weekend, and if you’re going to that, best leave now because traffic will not be a walk in the park. (If you’re interested in sponsoring, Hospitality Tents are only $200 a day and the Team Dinner/Opening Ceremonies are just $1,500. This is a big jump from 30 years ago when T-Ball was a YMCA T-shirt and a cap and your cleanest dirty shorts, and when the “regular season” was over, you met at Johnny’s Pizza.)
It took less than five minutes for me to figure out two things.
One, the gear required. Full uniforms. Battery-operated fans. (Could have used those back in the day.) Bat bags. And a clever invention—a wagon. Most everyone had these fold-up wagons, and in them were chairs for Mee Maw and Pee Paw, coolers, fans, bat bags, and sometimes a baby.
And two, most everyone I saw was sweating, but also smiling. It wasn’t my scene, but then again, none of these people wanted to be on the No. 7 tee box with me. They pay for a wagon, I pay for a pitching wedge. Different strokes … Same feeling of fun.
The little team I went to support came in 14th out of 16 teams, I think, but they all looked happy as little dudes on Christmas morning.
Things change. Used to, “travel ball” was one trip each summer out of town for a two-day tournament so my guys could experience a hotel and be together for a weekend. Then it was wiffle ball in the parking lot at night. Low overhead, high return. It was a different time, I guess.
Today, if they were grading, I’d make an F in T-Ball.
Things change, but still … when was the last time you saw boys and girls riding bikes with their baseball gloves hooked to the handlebars, or playing pickup baseball at a park or wiffle in the yard? Something in my old soul always thought that would be timeless. At least it’s still free.
Ever wish you could just ask the mayor a question?
KASO AM and KBEF FM and sponsors have made that opportunity possible for everyone – residents and former residents who have access to Facebook.
Ask The Mayor is a once-a-month program with Minden Mayor Nick Cox. At 9 a.m. on the first Friday of every month, in a pre-recorded program, station owner Mark Chreene will ask Cox your questions. Listeners submit the questions; Cox answers and, according to Chreene, Cox will not have the questions in advance of recording the program.
Chreene said the best way to submit questions is askthemayor@kbef.com or mail your question to KASO 410 Lakeshore Dr., Minden, LA 71055.
The Webster Parish Journal (WPJ) will publish paid engagement and wedding announcements, as well as anniversaries, for couples who reside in the parish, who have relatives in the parish or who are getting married in the parish. (Fees apply.)
This move by the Journal allows couples to showcase their announcement.
Information for engagement announcements include:
Digital photograph of the couple
The couple’s names
The couple’s hometowns
High school and/or college of the couple
Parents’ names and/or grandparents’ names
Ties to the parish
Wedding time, date, and place
An interesting fact about the couple
Information for the wedding announcements include:
Digital photograph of the couple
The couple’s names
The couple’s hometowns
High school and/or college of the couple
Parents’ names and/or grandparents’ names
Officiant
Attendants
Ties to the parish
Wedding time, date, and place
For engagement and wedding announcement fees and/or to submit information for publication, please email wpjnewsla@gmail.com.
Congrats to Lion Billy Kidd (right) for receiving the Annual H.O. West Memorial Driving Award! This award is named after the late Mr. West, a Lion who was known to have a fender bender from time to time. Ok, truth be told, there wasn’t a spot on his vehicle that didn’t have some sort of damage!
Lion Kidd received the award for his excellent parking skills – every Thursday when he comes to our club meeting he parks on the sidewalk and grass right in front of the American Legion Hall. Kinda like he owns the place.
Lion Robert Kidd took great pleasure in making Thursday’s presentation.
If I were to make a list of my favorite fruits, it would be extensive. Peaches would top the list. The remaining players would vacillate by mood or season. Blackberries and blueberries are plentiful in these parts this time of year. I’ve loved bananas since I was a kid and ate a lot of pears in my youth. I like all varieties of grapes and most varieties of apples.
Typically, I would be ending my annual peach binge about now. Chilton County, Alabama peaches start making sometime in June and the season usually peters out in mid-July. Though 2023 will go down as an almost peach-less year. The late freeze on March 20th destroyed most of the fruit crops from north of Birmingham to the Coast. Local peach sightings have been rare.
My friend Tim Goggans, owner of Sandy Run Farm just outside of Hattiesburg, said he lost more than 80% of his blueberry and blackberry crop during that freeze. We’ve been able to get some berries from him as he has been taking care of his local clientele, but his bulk business is almost a wash.
I’m not sure if watermelon would ever make the top-20 list of my favorite fruits. But 2023 has become the year of the watermelon. I have been consuming copious amounts of watermelon this summer. I have probably eaten more watermelon in the past six weeks than I have in the previous 20 years. It’s probably the peach/blueberry/blackberry shortage that has caused this change in my summer fruit eating habits. Whatever it is, I have enjoyed and appreciated watermelon more than ever this summer.
I’m a salt-on-my-melon kind of guy. And whether it’s cantaloupe, honeydew, or watermelon, I like it salted. My grandmother used salt while eating melon. My mother used salt, too. I guess I was just raised that way. My wife thinks it’s ridiculous, but I’m OK with her being wrong.
My grandmother ate a slice of cantaloupe or a honeydew every morning. I don’t ever remember her serving or eating watermelon, but she was religious with the honeydew and cantaloupe and salt was always present (and lemon on honeydew). She lived to be a very healthy 96-years old.
I have written often about how peaches taste like summer. It’s the same for watermelon. They are available year round, but the locally grown summer melons taste best. There’s a chart that’s been floating around the internet that shows what to look for when choosing a watermelon, and apparently I’ve been choosing wrong for the past 60 years. According to the chart, the best watermelons are of uniform size and are heavy (not elongated). They should have an orange field spot and not a white one. Larger webbing means the melon will be sweet. Smaller webbing is a warning sign for a bland watermelon. You’ll know it’s ripe if the melon is dark and dull. If it’s shiny it’s not ripe.
I’m not a late comer to watermelons. I’ve been eating them most of my life, it’s just that— until this summer— I have prioritized other fruits ahead of watermelon. Maybe my aversion has to do with a high school incident that happened 46 years ago.
It was the summer of 1977. “Rocky” was in movie theaters, and “Hotel California” was on the radio. I was 15 years old and working nights as a radio station disc jockey. During the day I was on the summer cleaning crew at my high school to make extra money. The school was small and located on the outskirts of Hattiesburg, adjacent to a farm owned by the Duff family.
I was a member of a high school fraternity. One of my friends— and a coworker on the cleaning crew— was a pledge in the fraternity. This friend/pledge, Ricky, ended up doing most of the work on the cleaning crew that summer. We ordered him around a lot. “Pledge Ricky, wax the floors. Pledge Ricky, mow the grass. Pledge Ricky, fire up the incinerator.” I’m not sure if we knew what hazing was back then, but, at the time, this seemed less like hazing and more like laziness on everyone else’s part.
Ricky was new to our school. He wanted desperately to fit in, and he did all our bidding, without complaint. Ricky also owned a late 1960s model Volkswagen Beetle that various members of the crew would hop in at least once a day to go trail riding in the woods that led to the Duff farm.
One hot July day Ricky and I hopped in his Beetle with the hopes of “borrowing” a watermelon from the Duff family watermelon patch. I drove his beat up Volkswagen down the trail that led to the melon-filled field. Ricky probably would have never thought to steal a watermelon on his own. It was my idea. Unfortunately, his desire to fit in overruled his good judgment.
I parked the Volkswagen on the trail and sent him into the watermelon patch. He snuck halfway out and held one up. It looked good, but I wasn’t going to let him get off that easy. “Not big enough,” I yelled. He crept a little farther out and held up a larger one. “Bigger,” I said. He made it all the way to the other side of the field, and grabbed a watermelon that took most of his strength to hold over his head. “How’s this?” He asked.
“Perfect,” I said. “Let’s go!” On his way back to the car, I ordered, “Get two.” Ricky looked at me as if to say, “this isn’t worth it,” but he picked up a second watermelon nonetheless and began the long trudge across the watermelon patch.
It was at that moment we heard, “Hey! What are y’all doing?” coming from the Duff house. It was our classmate, Kenny Duff. We were caught.
Kenny hopped on a motorcycle and headed our way. “Run!” I yelled to Ricky.
From across the field, I could hear Ricky screaming while running through the watermelon patch. He was trying not to trip over other watermelons— kicking a few— but still carrying the giant watermelons under both arms. When I saw the motorcycle at the head of the jeep trail, I took off— without Ricky.
In my mind’s eye I can still see Ricky in the rear view mirror, eyes as big as saucers, tennis shoes covered with watermelon pulp, running behind me on the jeep trail. The look in his eyes was one of fright, bewilderment, and betrayal. He was pleading with me to stop the car. His car. I kept going. I don’t know how fast he was running, but I had the getaway car in third gear.
A slightly overweight fraternity pledge is no match for a motorcycle, and Ricky fell to the ground, landing on, and smashing, both watermelons. He was in a world of trouble. Kenny was not only the owner of the watermelon patch, but he was also the president of the fraternity, and there was a pledge meeting that night.
Ricky never told anyone who was driving the car.
After the Great Watermelon Heist of 1977, I quit my job at the school and focused on my budding radio career. I never again took anything that belonged to someone else.
I have never considered myself a bully and can recount countless times when I stood up for the little guy and the underdog in my youth. But writing this story as a 62-year-old man in 2023, I am ashamed of my behavior that day. Fraternity, or not, I shouldn’t have treated a fellow classmate that way.
I lost track of Ricky after high school. He moved off, probably up North where watermelons don’t grow. If I saw him today, I would apologize to him, and let him know that I am sorry, and that I was wrong, and— whether he knew it or not— he always fit in. In the end, he had been a much bigger man, than I. He had faced the music.
Yesterday, as I ate watermelon, I thought of Ricky, and how he was a better friend to me than I ever was to him. Lesson learned.
Onward.
Blueberry-Peach Shortcake
2 cups all-purpose flour 2 Tbl sugar, plus extra for sprinkling 1 Tbl baking powder 1/8 tsp salt 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), diced 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 1/4 cup heavy cream, chilled
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water or milk, for egg wash
1/4 cup sugar 4-5 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced (about 3 cups) 1 Tbl fresh lemon juice
1 pint blueberries
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Sift the flour, 2 tablespoon sugar, the baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Blend in the butter at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is the size of peas. Combine the eggs, heavy cream, sour cream and vanilla extract and quickly add to the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough will be sticky.
Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Flour your hands and pat the dough out 3/4-inch thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough.
Cut biscuits with a 2 3/4-inch cutter and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
Brush the tops with the egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the outsides are crisp and the insides are fully baked. Let cool on a wire rack.
While the biscuits are baking, combine the 1/4 cup of sugar with the sliced peaches and lemon juice. Refrigerate until needed.
Split each shortcake in half crosswise and place the bottom half on a plate. Place a small amount of the peach mixture atop each biscuit bottom. Place one scoop of ice cream on the peaches and spoon the remaining peaches over the ice cream. Place the biscuit top over the filled bottom half and sprinkle each shortcake with 2-3 tablespoons of fresh blueberries, serve immediately.
Yield:
6-8 servings
(Robert St. John is a chef, restaurateur and published cookbook author who lives in Hattiesburg, Miss.)
9 a.m. until noon, Minden Farmer’s Market, at The Farm, corner of Highway 80 and Talton Street.
July 26
11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Cotton Valley Community Health Day at CV City Hall. Sponsored by Springhill Medical Center and Louisiana HomeCare Springhill. Free event. Health information, hot dogs, snow cones and raffle.
July 27
1 p.m. Annual Membership Drive, Webster Parish Council on Aging, 1482 Sheppard St., Minden. Call 318-371-3056 or come by the address between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
July 28
4 until 8 p.m., Webster Parish School Board’s Pack the Bus, Minden Walmart.
July 29
10 a.m. until noon, Young Women’s Service Club Back to School Bash, Victory Park.
August 2
Webster Parish New Teacher Breakfast, Harper Pathways to Excellence Center, 618 Germantown Rd., Minden.
August 4
8:30 a.m. Glenbrook School New Teacher Breakfast, Glenbrook School.
August 12
9 a.m. until noon. Springhill-North Webster Chamber of Commerce’s Back to School Water Wars, Springhill Recreation Complex. K-12th grades. Free water balloons, no outside balloons permitted, free water gun filling stations, concessions available. $10 admission fee benefits LaMa Animal Rescue.
5 until 9 p.m., Peace Out Summer Back to School Bash, Sarepta Community Park. Admission $2; games, food and raffle. Pack the Bus by bringing supplies. Sponsored by Women Helping Others. For more information: contact Ramanda Ketchum at 318-347-2612 or Rketchumwho@gmail.com, Elizabeth Simmons at 318-517-5207 or emccuen92@gmail.com, Tammie Wynn 318-268-5535 or tammie.wynn@la.gov .
August 26
10 a.m. – 2p.m. Brunch. Minden Junior Service League “Mamma Mia” Girls Night Out, Minden Civic Center.
September 9
Vintage Car Club of Minden’s annual car show in downtown Minden. More information when available.
September 28 through 30, Oct. 1
Minden High School 30th Class Reunion
Sept. 28 – 6 until 9 p.m. Meet and Greet, Under Dawgs Sports Grill, 605 Main St., Minden, La.
Sept. 29 – 11 a.m. until 1 p.m., Meet and Greet, Under Dawgs Sports Grill, 605 Main St., Minden, La.
At 8:30 p.m. on November 24, 1992, a Gulfstream II jet piloted by John Joseph and co-piloted by John Messina, took off from Fort Lauderdale, Florida en route to Rockland, Maine. If everything went as expected, the flight would take two-and-a-half hours. They planned to land in Maine at 11:00 p.m. This $5 million twin-engine business jet was rated to carry a maximum of 19 passengers in addition to the pilot and co-pilot. On this flight, only about a half dozen passengers were onboard, including Joseph’s wife of just 14 months and their seven-month-old son. The pilot and co-pilot had thousands of flight hours between them. Joseph had been flying since 1978 and held several different jet and non-jet pilot’s licenses.
As you probably guessed, everything did not go as expected. At about 10:15 p.m., with only 45 minutes left to in the trip, a bearing in the jet’s left electrical generator failed. In case of a generator failure, the jet’s electrical system would automatically draw power from the other engine’s electrical generator. When this jet’s computer system switched to the right generator, a power surge in the electrical system tripped a circuit breaker. The second generator shut down. Without power from the generators, the jet relied on two small nickel cadmium batteries to power the jet’s radios, navigational gear, and other operational systems. When fully charged, these two batteries could only power the jet for about five minutes.
No alarms sounded when the two generators failed. Joseph and Messina only recognized that both generators had failed when the instrument panels began to dim. It had been about five minutes since the generators failed. Time was running out. As soon as Joseph was aware that there was a problem, he contacted the Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center, declared an emergency, and asked for a heading to Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. Before he could get a response from air traffic control, the two nickel cadmium batteries had exhausted their power supply and the jet’s entire electrical system failed. Like most jets, the Gulfstream II had a backup for the backup for the backup in case of electrical failure. Joseph tried to activate an instrument called a transformer rectifier to generate power but it, too, malfunctioned. Joesph and Messina immediately realized the severe trouble the crippled jet was in. All of the electrical navigational equipment had shut down, as had many of the jet’s crucial systems, such as electrically assisted flaps and brakes.
The jet was nearly eight miles high, traveling at about 400 miles per hour, and was approaching one of nation’s busiest airspaces with no radio communications, no navigational equipment, and no interior or exterior lights. The jet’s transponder, which transmits information such as the jet’s identification number, heading, speed, and altitude to air traffic controllers, also ceased to operate. Air traffic controllers could only see an unidentified blip on their radar screens. When Air traffic controllers realized Joseph’s jet’s electrical system had malfunctioned, they tried to contact Joseph by way of an emergency hand-held transceiver, another piece of emergency equipment, but the jet did not have one of the emergency transceivers.
In an act of desperation, an air traffic controller directed the pilot of a commercial jet to help locate Joseph’s jet. USAir Flight 1729 was traveling at the same speed as Joseph’s jet at an altitude of 20,000 feet. They were unsure of Joseph’s jet’s altitude. The air traffic controller told USAir pilot of Joseph’s jet’s electrical malfunction and said he would not be lit up. The USAir jet pilot saw Joseph’s jet directly in front of him about two miles away. They were heading directly toward each other. The air traffic controller held his breath as the symbol for the USAir jet and the blip converged. He breathed a sigh of relief when the symbols for the jets had passed each other and continued in opposite directions.
Back in Joseph’s jet, Messina shone a small flashlight in the cockpit for them to see by. Joseph had only a tiny magnetic compass and a small emergency attitude indicator which showed the relationship of the airplane’s wings in relation to the horizon for navigating the jet. There was no moon in the night sky on this night and all Joseph and Messina could see below them were dense clouds. In the distance, Joseph noticed a glow in the dense cloud cover. This, he surmised, had to be Washington, D.C. He aimed the jet towards the glow. At about 12,000, Joseph’s jet was engulfed by thick clouds. He continued his descent towards the glow. The jet continued its slow descent, but the clouds did not thin. Finally, at about 1,000 feet, Joseph’s jet broke out of the clouds. The first thing Joseph saw was a brightly lit obelisk in the night sky. It was the Washington Monument. Both pilot and co-pilot were relieved at the welcome sight. Joseph aimed the jet toward the Washington National Airport. Air Traffic controllers had rerouted the other jets from the area in anticipation of an emergency landing.
Joseph’s jet was not safe yet. They held their breath as they tried to lower the landing gear by using the emergency extension system. Another sigh of relief. This emergency system worked. They were unable to lower the jet’s flaps, which would normally slow a jet on approach. They touched town on the runway at the dangerous speed of about 170 miles per hour. The only brake they had was the emergency brake, which failed to respond until fully engaged. The locked tires only lasted a second or two before all four of them blew out. Somehow, the jet did not flip as it skidded to a stop. Finally, the harrowing ordeal was over.
Although terrifying, Joseph still flies his jets. He owns several. Throughout the emergency, air traffic controllers failed to realize that Joseph, the pilot of the Gulfstream II jet, would have been instantly recognizable had they seen his face. You and I have watched him in “Welcome Back, Kotter,” “Grease,” and “Saturday Night Fever.” The pilot who miraculously guided the jet to safety, despite horrifying odds, whose middle name is Joseph, was John Travolta.
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.
July 16
Rodolfo A. Escalante, 60, of the 900 block of Carolina St., Minden, was arrested by LSP-G for driving while intoxicated and improper equipment (2 deflated tires).
July 17
Christopher Ulysses Cooksey, 25, of the 800 block of Rebecca St., Minden, was arrested by WPSO on an active warrant following a traffic stop by MPD.
Tadarien Jackson, 26, of the 300 block of E. Roosevelt St., Minden, was arrested by MPD on an active warrant for second degree battery.
Chazzmun Lewis, 31, of the 100 block of Walter Lyons Rd., Minden, was arrested by Probation & Parole on parole violations.
Latanya Hawkins, 43, of the 700 block of Brooks Alley, Minden, was arrested by MPD on an active bench warrant and as a fugitive from WPSO.
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.
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.)
As of 7:30 p.m. Monday, 2 more business owners had contacted Minden Police Department concerning letters that were concerning to local law enforcement.
Monday afternoon, Minden Police were actively seeking tips in an ongoing investigation, and it may come to any local business number in the form of an envelope like the one shown here.
“If anyone gets one of these letters with the address written in pencil like this, please don’t open it,” said Minden Police Chief Jared McIver. “There is nothing inside that is of danger to the recipient, but if we can get it before they open it, we may be able to pull DNA off of it where the sender licked it to close the envelope.”
The chief said they are aware of five letters that were Monday, July 17.
“They either have a Monroe zip code or a Bossier zip code,” he said. “No return address and written in pencil. Please don’t open it and contact Minden Police Department.”
McIver said the FBI and U.S. Postal Service have been contacted, and Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office is also working with these agencies.
Mid-afternoon winds and storms brought to an early close the final round of Pine Hills Country Club’s Memorial Tournament Sunday.
The Memorial Tournament takes place annually to collect money for upkeep on the club. This year’s event was held July 15 and 16. Food was catered by Hugh Wood Catering.
John Becker, commander of Wiley-Pevy Post #74 of the American Legion in Minden, presented the annual “American Legion School Awards” to Landon Basco and Jayda Landry during the Youth Challenge Program – Camp Minden’s Awards Day Presentations on Thursday, July 13, 2023. Landon and Jayda are graduates of the 2023-1 cycle. Each year, the American Legion presents this award to a male and female member of the student body at all high schools in Webster Parish. The award recognizes those who possess the highest qualities of Courage, Honor, Leadership, Patriotism, Scholarship, and Service. The ceremony took place at Camp Minden. (Photo by Marilyn Miller)
A friend notified me over the weekend about a trio of local heroes who helped save a life down at Panama Beach following what’s been called an accidental shooting.
You can read the story in Tuesday’s Webster Parish Journal, so I won’t rehash all the details here – but kudos again to Melissa Gutierrez, Hillary Butler and April Pamintuan for their heroic deeds.
What I’d like to do now is again put out my standard call. To the readers of all our Journals – from down to Natchitoches and all the way up and over to Claiborne – I want to write stories about people like these three ladies who make a difference in the world around them.
Our globe is filled with negativity and bad news, so it is important to take the time to recognize the good deeds and positive contributions made by individuals in our communities. Whether it be a small act of kindness or a larger-scale project, these actions have the power to make a significant impact on the lives of those around us.
That’s what I try to do with my work for the Journal publications.
I ask for news to be shared with me. Good news. News that helps our world so we can have a bit of a chance to drown out all the cacophony brought on by the bad.
When you help me recognize these individuals it not only shows appreciation for their efforts, but also serves as an inspiration for others to follow in their footsteps. It highlights the importance of community involvement and encourages others to get involved and make a difference.
Recognizing those who do good things can also serve as a reminder of the positive impact that even small actions can have. It can inspire individuals to take action and make a difference, even in the smallest of ways. It can have a ripple effect. creating a chain reaction of positive change within the community.
So, please help me recognize those who do good things. Send me good deeds and good people.
In a world of dark, just turn on the light. And if you can’t do that, help me highlight those who can.
(Josh Beavers is an award winning writer and author. He has earned more than 40 individual writing awards and is syndicated in 12 North Louisiana news journals. The Louisiana Press Association has recognized him five times for excellence in opinion writing, and he has earned numerous Best Investigative Reporting Awards and Freedom of Information Awards for exposure of governmental corruption in Webster Parish.)
Football makes its return to Sarepta this fall in conjunction with a refurbishing of Zolon Stiles field that will include new field lighting and perimeter fencing, redesign of locker rooms and restrooms. A new concession area and other improvements will also accompany the updates. A rededication of the field will take place at 6 p.m. Monday, August 21.
Home games for North Webster Junior High were moved to Springhill a number of years ago, relegating the campus field to practice use only. The slow deterioration of the stadium along with the loss of home campus games proved less and less satisfactory, leading to an effort spearheaded by campus Principal Gwenzetta Bradford and her staff along with District 3 School Board Representative Charles Strong, who began planning efforts for the return of games at the Zolon Stiles field at North Webster Jr. High. Architect Perry Watson, who designed Sarepta’s new campus, was tagged to oversee the redesign. The campuses’ maintenance tax fund is being utilized for the improvements.
According to Bradford and Strong, there has been strong desire and support for bringing home games back to the campus, and for keeping the entire facility in good repair and full use. Faculty, staff and students are excited. The community is encouraged to SUPPORT THE CHARGERS as they make their way back to playing on their home field.
The field is 99% complete as the lights are already in place, the perimeter cleanup including brush removal is complete, new fencing is complete, a new concession stand has been built, and work continues full speed ahead for football to come back home for the North Webster Junior High Chargers in the fall of 2023.
Head Coach, Brian White states, “I am so appreciative and excited about our new stadium at NWJH. I know the students will be fired up about it. We look forward to a new look with a new attitude going into this season.” Mrs. Bradford states, “When I’m able to welcome the community to our field and see our football players play, then it will be 100% complete.”
We would like to thank all parties involved because this took a team of people as well as the efforts and the care of managing things while it was a work in progress.
Thanks to Principal Gwenzetta Bradford for her desire to make lasting improvements, bring the community together, and promote a stronger quality of dedication and commitment for everyone.
Thanks to Assistant Principal Mr. Lonnie O’Neal for caring for and helping to manage the project.
Thanks to Mr. Jeff Franklin, Supervisor of Transportation, Maintenance, and Security for his part in managing and spearheading the project.
Thanks to District 3 School Board Representative, Mr. Charles Strong for his support and his dedication to rebuilding the community.
Thanks to Superintendent Johnny Rowland for his commitment to serve every community in a capacity that will allow growth and prosperity.
Thanks to all the companies who helped to rebuild and renew this project.
The 2023 Charger football schedule follows: 8-22-23 Haynesville @ NWJH
8-29-23 Farmerville @ NWJH 9-5-23 NWJH @ Homer 9-12-23 Homer @ NWJH 9-19-23 TBD
9-26-23 Caddo Magnet @ NWJH
10-10-23 NWJH @ Haynesville Enjoy Charger football at home with us. Go Chargers!
Mr. Fred Rogers, one of the wisest of the wise sages in American history, once told us heroes are those who, in the face of danger, run towards the fray rather than away.
Well, the fray was in the Sunshine State, down Panama City way, on Saturday when three local heroes responded to a shooting on the beach in the only way heroes know how.
“We were sitting on the beach, and we heard what we thought was a fire cracker,” said Melissa Gutierrez, a registered nurse from Minden. “Everyone was looking around, and then people started screaming and running.”
According to the local media, one person was shot at the Majestic Beach Towers on Front Beach Road in Panama City Beach Saturday afternoon.
Officials said at 3:20 p.m., Panama City Beach police received a call about the shooting. When police arrived at the scene, they found a woman with a gunshot wound on her legs.
The woman was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition. That last part was thanks to Melissa as well as her sister Hillary Butler and friend April Pamintuan.
“We stood up and my sister Hillary first noticed the teenage girl on the ground,” Melissa said. “They were set up directly next to us. Hillary screamed that she had been shot, so me and April joined Hillary and ran over and we put pressure on her gunshot wounds.”
All three ladies are nurses and knew what had to be done. They didn’t run away from the danger but rather toward the injured young woman. Aid was needed as a life was in peril.
“It had grazed her arm and then went through both legs, and the bullet was still in one leg,” she said.
Another friend called 911, and the three local heroes talked to the injured woman and kept her from bleeding out as well as kept her calm until paramedics arrived.
“She was with a group of teens and they were scared to death,” Melissa said. “The shooter was still in the building at this time, and we had no idea if they would start shooting again. One young guy ran over and just started praying over her. Once EMS came for her we were instructed to go back to our rooms, and the hotel was on lock down, and they turned off the elevators.”
The police made an arrest, and Melissa said they were told it was a person mishandling a gun who had inadvertently discharged the weapon.
Some time later, the local trio was contacted by the girl’s mother.
“She said that her daughter will make a full recovery, thankfully,” Melissa said.
Of course, no one but the One Above knows what would have happened to the young woman had our three local heroes not been there.
Yet, I would hazard to guess He may have perhaps, just perhaps, placed those three heroes in just the right place at just the right time so they could save a life.
People say He works in mysterious ways, but sometimes we can see Him moving as plain as day.
The biggest, most celebrity, and fun-filled party of every summer in Natchitoches and for miles around is coming your way a bit later than normal, at the end of this month.
Three days of festivities are right around the corner, Thursday, July 27 through Saturday, July 29, with the 2023 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration.
Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning Joins four-time WNBA All-Star Alana Beard (whose parents are from Natchitoches Parish) and College World Series champion LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri in a star-studded 12-member induction class.
The LSHOF Class of 2023 also includes New Orleans native Ron Washington, who managed the Texas Rangers to a pair of World Series appearances and in 2021 helped the Atlanta Braves win the world’s championship; two-time LSU track and field USA Olympian and world champion Walter Davis; and Slidell native, Tulane great and Chicago Bears two-time Pro Bowl running back Matt Forte.
Also elected for induction are All-American LSU pitcher Paul Byrd, a 14-year Major League Baseball veteran who made the 1999 All-Star Game; Shreveport native Wendell Davis, who shattered LSU football receiving records before heading to the NFL; multiple national champion and world-class weightlifter Walter Imahara, a UL-Lafayette legend; and retired Baton Rouge-Parkview Baptist baseball coach M.L. Woodruff, whose teams claimed 11 state championships.
The LSHOF’s Class of 2023 will be enshrined Saturday, July 29, at the Hall of Fame’s home in Natchitoches to culminate the 64th Induction Celebration.
The 2023 Induction Celebration will kick off Thursday, July 27, with the La Capitol Federal Credit Union Welcome Reception from 5-7 p.m., free to the public at the Hall of Fame museum.
The Friday, July 28 schedule begins with the Celebrity Bowling Bash presented by BOM at Four Seasons Bowling Center in Alexandria. The 2023 Rockin’ River Fest, a free concert on the downtown riverbank stage, begins at 6 p.m. and runs until 10:30. In conjunction with the Rockin’ River Fest is the VIP Taste of Tailgating party presented by Hancock Whitney.
The slate on Saturday, July 29 kicks off with the free LSHOF Junior Training Camp led by community relations personnel from the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans, on the NSU campus at the Webb Wellness and Recreation Center and Turpin Stadium. Kids ages 7-17 do need to register in advance at the LaSportsHall.com website, but there is no charge to participate.
At noon Saturday, the Round Table Luncheon presented by the Tiger Athletic Foundation is held at The Venue on Front Street.
Festivities culminate Saturday evening with the Induction Reception at the LSHOF museum beginning at 5, followed at 7 by the Induction Ceremony at the Natchitoches Events Center. Northwestern State University and State Farm Agents of Louisiana are presenting sponsors Saturday evening.
The VIP Taste of Tailgating, the Bowling Bash, the Round Table Luncheon and the Induction Reception and Ceremony are ticketed events requiring purchase in advance through LaSportsHall.com or by calling 318-238-4255, and those events could become sellouts.
The Thursday reception, the Friday evening River Fest and the Junior Training Camp are free. As noted above, camp participants must register online in advance.
The 2023 Induction Celebration will be hosted by the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation, the support organization for the Hall of Fame. The LSHOF Foundation was established as a 501 c 3 non-profit entity in 1975 and is governed by a statewide board of directors. For information on sponsorship opportunities and other participation, contact Foundation President/CEO Ronnie Rantz at 225-802-6040 or RonnieRantz@LaSportsHall.com, or Greg Burke, Director of Business Development and Public Relations, at 318-663-5459 or GregBurke@LaSportsHall.com.
Minor flooding is forecast for Bayou Dorcheat at Dixie Inn, due to an abundance of rain in Oklahoma and Arkansas.
According to the National Weather Service, by 11 a.m. Saturday, July 15, the flood stage was 10.3 feet with the bayou expected to rise above flood stage (14 feet) Sunday and continuing to 17 feet by Tuesday morning.
For the immediate future, a heat advisory remains in effect. NWS predicts hot temps combined with humidity could result in heat indexes from 105 to 109 degrees, something that often causes pop-up thunderstorms. When those occur to the north, a “trickle down” effect takes place, causing flooding in waterways such as Dorcheat.
Thunderstorms Sunday were expected, however, along with high winds, there were power outages and downed trees in the parish. Minden Mayor Nick Cox said several areas in Minden were without power, but all were reportedly restored by 11:30 p.m. Sunday. If anyone is still without power, please contact Minden City Hall at 377-2144.
United Christian Assistance Program officials say they are low on all food-related items.
Especially needed are:
canned meats and fruit
powdered milk
crackers and cereal
Monetary donations are also greatly appreciated.
Thanks to the community for support.
They still need household goods and men’s clothing, but these food items are the most pressing need.
UCAP is open from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at 204 Miller Street, Minden, for food, utility and rent assistance. Clothing is dispersed on Wednesdays only.
Give me ALL of the toffee filled baked goods!This Vanilla Heath Bar Coffee Cake included.I always love to bake on the weekends (and some evenings during the week!), and this was high on my agenda.It filled the kitchen with the sweetest aroma while baking.The little extra added pizazz of the crunchy toffee bits make it extra special.I hope you enjoy!
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter, cold
1/4 cup oil
1 cup cake flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
One bag of Heath Toffee bits
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vanilla
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Lightly grease an 8×8 baking pan.
Place the butter, oil, flours, salt, and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer.Pour the oil in and stir with a spatula.Slice the butter into pats and add quickly to the mixture.Work the butter into the mixture with your hands until crumbly.Remove 1/2 cup of this mixture and add 5 ounces of toffee bits to it.Set aside.
Place the bowl into the stand mixer and add egg, yolk, sour cream, baking soda and vanilla.Beat on medium-high heat for 3 minutes.Remove the bowl and place half the batter into the baking pan. Spread evenly with an offset spatula.Sprinkle the reserved crumbly mixture over as evenly as possible.Add remaining batter, spreading with the offset spatula again.Top with more toffee bits.
Bake for 45 minutes or until done.
(Ashley Madden Rowton is a wife, mom and published cookbook author who lives in Minden, La.)
Greater Minden Chamber of Commerce members have until Thursday, June 20 to sign up as a sponsor for the New Teacher Breakfasts for Webster Parish Schools and Glenbrook School.
Citizens National Bank has already garnered the Presenting Sponsor spot, however, there are countless banner sponsorships left.
Benefits include: Listing on banner, ability to mingle and speak with new teachers at the breakfast, ability to provide swag in goody bags that will be distributed to all new teachers, recognition in chamber social media and eblasts, as well as recognition in media coverage.
Banner Sponsorship Cost: $100
Webster Parish New Teacher Breakfast – Wednesday, August 2
Glenbrook School New Teacher Breakfast – Friday, August 4
Other sponsors include Greater Minden Chamber of Commerce, Chairman’s Circle 2023, b1 Bank, Gibsland Bank & Trust, Home Federal Bank, Minden Medical Center and Wimberly Agency.
Please let LaTonya info@mindenchamber.com , or Chamber CEO Stephanie Barnette, know if you are interested in this great opportunity to support local teachers.
Send non-profit calendar events to wpjnewsla@gmail.com .
Every Saturday in July
9 a.m. until noon, Minden Farmer’s Market, at The Farm, corner of Highway 80 and Talton Street.
July 17-21
5:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. Vacation Bible School, First Methodist Church, Minden, 903 Broadway. Ages PreK through 6th. Snack supper provided each night. For more information, contact Katheryn Webb, 318-299-0597.
July 26
11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Cotton Valley Community Health Day at CV City Hall. Sponsored by Springhill Medical Center and Louisiana HomeCare Springhill. Free event. Health information, hot dogs, snow cones and raffle.
July 27
1 p.m. Annual Membership Drive, Webster Parish Council on Aging, 1482 Sheppard St., Minden. Call 318-371-3056 or come by the address between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
July 28
4 until 8 p.m., Webster Parish School Board’s Pack the Bus, Minden Walmart.
July 29
10 a.m. until noon, Young Women’s Service Club Back to School Bash, Victory Park.
August 2
Webster Parish New Teacher Breakfast, Harper Pathways to Excellence Center, 618 Germantown Rd., Minden.
August 4
8:30 a.m. Glenbrook School New Teacher Breakfast, Glenbrook School.
August 12
9 a.m. until noon. Springhill-North Webster Chamber of Commerce’s Back to School Water Wars, Springhill Recreation Complex. K-12th grades. Free water balloons, no outside balloons permitted, free water gun filling stations, concessions available. $10 admission fee benefits LaMa Animal Rescue.
5 until 9 p.m., Peace Out Summer Back to School Bash, Sarepta Community Park. Admission $2; games, food and raffle. Pack the Bus by bringing supplies. Sponsored by Women Helping Others. For more information: contact Ramanda Ketchum at 318-347-2612 or Rketchumwho@gmail.com, Elizabeth Simmons at 318-517-5207 or emccuen92@gmail.com, Tammie Wynn 318-268-5535 or tammie.wynn@la.gov .
August 26
10 a.m. – 2p.m. Brunch. Minden Junior Service League “Mamma Mia” Girls Night Out, Minden Civic Center.
September 9
Vintage Car Club of Minden’s annual car show in downtown Minden. More information when available.
September 28 through 30, Oct. 1
Minden High School 30th Class Reunion
Sept. 28 – 6 until 9 p.m. Meet and Greet, Under Dawgs Sports Grill, 605 Main St., Minden, La.
Sept. 29 – 11 a.m. until 1 p.m., Meet and Greet, Under Dawgs Sports Grill, 605 Main St., Minden, La.
When I look around today, and drive by the city pool, school playgrounds, sandlots and youth baseball complexes, a question often pops in my head. Where have all the kids gone? Yes, I know it’s 2023 and I understand it’s a different time than when I grew up during the 1970’s, but why is that? Well, there are several reasons why we don’t see kids out playing like we did. The number one reason…protection.
Today’s kids are growing up in the age of social media like You Tube, Twitter, Instagram and up to the minute news. The ‘70’s had basically three channels, NBC, ABC and CBS all of which only had two news broadcasts a day at 6:00 and 10:00 PM. Today, there are numerous 24-hour news channels where anything and everything is known about in a matter of minutes.
Kids today are sheltered and protected from the dangers of the world we live in due to the fears of what people see every day on the news. Parents today have a much tougher job of raising kids and worrying about the different types of dangers and challenges than existed for my parents.
Even though there were dangers when my generation grew up, it was a different time when so many bad things were never seen or heard about. The world was still a bad place, but no one really knew because of the lack of news coverage. The news was much simpler back in the ‘70’s and mostly void of daily murders or drive by shootings. The worst thing we heard about was the weekly death toll from the Vietnam War. We learned of the passing of Elvis Presley and updates on the Watergate scandal involving President Nixon. We heard about the nationwide gas shortage and the long lines at the pumps. But even then, there was almost always a feel-good story.
During my generation, parents trusted their kids to behave and play with responsibility. Now this was not always the case as kids have historically had a propensity to get into trouble. Common sense is what kept us alive as we understood what was risky versus what was just plain dumb, something kids today seem to lack. During my younger days, the main form of transportation was a bicycle. We rode our bikes around the entire community for miles, seven days a week. We spent countless summer hours outside every day no matter how hot it was.
No one stayed in the house because you weren’t allowed in the house. We played outside because our parents did not allow you to come inside unless you had a medical emergency. If you needed a drink of water, you turned the water hose on until the water got cold enough to drink. A water hose during my generation was necessary for survival! It not only kept us hydrated but was a great form of entertainment when it came to water balloon fights and a slip-n-slide.
Hungry? Well, we could usually find a fig, pear tree or black berry patch with good fruit on it to satisfy our craving. Sometimes we hopped on our bikes and went on a coke bottle run collecting as many bottles as we could find in ditches and trash cans so we could turn them in to the local country store in exchange for candy or maybe an ICEE.
It’s sad today to look around and see empty playgrounds and sandlots. You never see groups of kids riding their bikes anymore. You don’t see kids playing chase or climbing trees. Kids today have no idea what a treehouse really is! They have little imagination when it comes to playtime unless it involves a joystick. Because of the level of protection kids have today, they’re just not as mature as my generation was during the pre-teen and teenage years. Imagine your 18-year-old today having to go fight a war in hand-to-hand combat.
What concerns me the most is that the days of kids being free to play outside will never happen again. Kids are too busy on social media sites worrying about someone saying something negative or starting rumors. They are consumed with self-indulging issues that really don’t mean a thing. I only wish parents would take more control and give better guidance. In the meantime, I will continue to pray for kids to experience good fishing, good bike riding and good tree climbing, while not forgetting their sunscreen.
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.
July 12
Bradley Wilson, 42, of Prysock Dr., Doyline, was arrested by WPSO for domestic abuse with child endangerment and resisting an officer.
Ronald Blackmon, 53, of the 100 block of Old Sarepta Church Road, was arrested by Springhill Police for possession of methamphetamine and no safety belt in use.
Christopher Adamson, 36, of Taylor, Ark., was arrested by Springhill Police for possession of methamphetamine.
Derrick Pennington, 36 of the 3000 block of Hwy. 159, Minden, was arrested by WPSO on 2 warrants for distribution of methamphetamine.
July 13
Christen Ashley Coats, 32, of Texarkana, Ark., was arrested by WPSO for possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia (syringe).
Terra Darlene Britt, 34, of Noble, La., was arrested from Sabine Parish Jail by Minden Police for second degree robbery, criminal conspiracy and principal to a felony.
Jason Hillman, 46, of the 200 block of Horseshoe Loop, Doyline, was arrested by WPSO for distribution of methamphetamine and criminal trespass.
Lonnie W. Minnifield, 59, of the 1300 block of Hwy. 615, Shongaloo, was arrested by WPSO and Dixie Inn Police on an active warrant.
Joseph Lewis, 25, of Minden, was arrested by Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office for illegal use of weapons.
July 14
Michael Brandon Gardner, 36, of Springhill, La., was arrested by WPSO for possession of marijuana, a legend drug, drug paraphernalia and careless operation of a motor vehicle.
Freida N. Dinkins, 35, of Hwy. 371, Cotton Valley, was arrested by Cullen Police for accessory to monetary instrument abuse and forgery. Dinkins attempted to cash a check worth $170.
Robert P. Moody, 28, of the 100 block of Springhill Airport Rd., Springhill, was arrested by WPSO on an active warrant and for possession of methamphetamine.
July 15
Malindee Ann Clark, 38, of the 100 block of Kristin Ln., Minden, was arrested by WPSO on an active warrant for failure to appear in court.
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.
